A Polish former archbishop has been hospitalized after the beginning of a trial where he faces charges for regularly paying young boys in the Dominican Republic for sexual services.
The priest is also accused of possessing child pornography while in Rome. He is being treated for an unspecified illness.
"The [pornography] case is based on an offence introduced to Vatican legislation by Francis in 2013. The other involves sexual abuse of minors prosecuted on the case assembled by legal authorities of Santo Domingo," the Vatican said, according to AFP.
The priest could face six years in prison if he is found guilty of the pedophilia and child pornography charges. For comparison, in the United States, a female school teacher was recently sentenced to 22 years on charges of having sex with three 17-year-old males.
The case is one of the first in history where the Vatican has charged clergy with pedophilia offenses.
