21. Mahony remained adamant the other major issue, insisting that the bishops must defrock any priest guilty of past abuse. 22. He refuses to elaborate on his charge, but warned he might have to defrock Archimandrite Meraclis if he was elected. 23. He said Meraclis was " morally incompetent " to run for a bishop post and threatened to defrock him. 24. "They were going to defrock me, but they couldn't figure out how to do it," 25. Bishops can suspend priests but few have sought to defrock offenders because the Vatican's procedures are time-consuming and cumbersome. 26. He fought for 14 years and finally persuaded the Vatican to defrock a priest who was accused but never convicted of child molestation. 27. Patriarch Justin Moisescu ( Justinian's successor ) allowed the Holy Synod to defrock Dumitreasa and other priests that the state arrested. 28. Bishops can request that the Vatican formally defrock the offending priest " even without the consent of the priest or deacon ." 29. This week, representatives of 207 Buddhist organizations called on the council to follow the Supreme Patriarch's order to defrock the abbot. 30. The recommendation to defrock a priest is certainly a no-brainer when it comes to notorious, serial offenders and new cases of abuse.