laicize
laicise

Only the pope can laicize a priest, church officials said.

But the decision to laicize or "defrock" a priest is still left to the discretion of the individual bishop.

In 2005, the Vatican refused to laicize Father McFadden.

On one occasion, Wuerl successfully fought to laicize a priest who the Vatican initially had protected.

Several cardinals added that they might ask the Vatican to make it easier for them to laicize, or defrock, a priest - a disciplinary step that is now rarely used because it can involve a lengthy appeals process in ecclesiastical courts.

In April 2010, there were reports of a letter signed by Cardinal Ratzinger in 1985, in which he allegedly dismissed a request to laicize a Father Stephen Kiesle, a California priest accused of molesting boys.

But if the archbishop could laicise him at a mere word, at least Darragh could laicise himself by signing his name to enlistment.

Several inquisitorial panels were set up to investigate the monks' complains and a decision was made that the SSC should exercise the authority under the Sangha Act, BE 2505 (1962), section 27, to laicise Phothirak.