2 0 1 3 , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁approved ▁the ▁ex communic ation ▁of ▁Australian ▁priest ▁Greg ▁Reyn olds , ▁the ▁first ▁during ▁Francis ' s ▁pap acy . ▁Reyn olds ▁was ▁accused ▁of ▁her es y ▁and ▁sac ri leg ious ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁consec r ated ▁host . ▁His ▁public ▁pre aching ▁contradict ing ▁church ▁teaching ▁was ▁also ▁referenced ▁in ▁the ▁letter ▁of ▁ex communic ation . ▁A ▁letter ▁sent ▁by ▁the ▁arch bishop ▁of ▁Melbourne , ▁Den is ▁Hart , ▁to ▁the ▁pri ests ▁of ▁his ▁dioc ese ▁c ited ▁Reyn olds ' s ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁ord ination ▁of ▁women ▁and ▁" his ▁public ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁the ▁E uchar ist ▁when ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁hold ▁fac ult ies ▁to ▁act ▁public ly ▁as ▁a ▁priest ". ▁Reyn olds ▁said ▁that ▁his ▁support ▁of ▁same - sex ▁marriage ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁factor , ▁though ▁not ▁mentioned . ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁cases , ▁Francis ▁created ▁the ▁Pont ific al ▁Commission ▁for ▁the ▁Prote ction ▁of ▁Min ors . ▁In ▁the ▁past , ▁pri ests ▁who ▁committed ▁ab uses ▁were ▁removed ▁by ▁b ish ops , ▁but ▁b ish ops ▁were ▁rarely ▁held ▁account able . ▁This ▁trib unal ▁was ▁created ▁to ▁prevent ▁cover - ups ▁of ▁ab use ▁cases ; ▁off enders ▁would ▁be ▁de alt ▁with ▁by ▁the ▁Cong reg ation ▁for ▁the ▁Do ctrine ▁of ▁the ▁Fa ith . ▁Barbara ▁Bla ine , ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁organization ▁Sur viv ors ▁Network ▁of