US cardinal Roger Mahony, retired from church duties as part of a paedophilia scandal, cannot be banned from the conclave to elect a new pope, but could be advised to stay away, a fellow cardinal and canon law expert said in an interview on Tuesday. "The common practise is to use persuasion. There is no more that can be done. Cardinal Mahony has the right and duty to take part," Velasio De Paolis, one of the 117 cardinal electors due to participate, told La Repubblica daily. "This is a troubling situation but the rules must be followed," he said.

A US Catholic cardinal stripped of his duties said Friday he had not known how to handle child sex abuse claims as he did not learn about it in school, drawing withering criticism from victims. Retired Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony said he was not taught about such abuse, a day after he was relieved of all administrative and public duties for mishandling claims against dozens of priests, dating back to the 1980s.