Pope Francis gave a clear indication that he was taking the offences of Cardinal Keith O'Brien seriously when he effectively exiled him from Scotland in May 2013.

Now, by accepting his resignation and clarifying the extent to which Cardinal O'Brien has been stripped of his duties, the pontiff has effectively found him guilty of the sexual misconduct he has already admitted to.

It is important to remember that the offences concerned were between adults and have not resulted in any police charges or convictions. In many ways, Cardinal O'Brien's greatest sin was hypocrisy, given his willingness to pronounce on the undesirability of gay marriage and relationships, while making advances to junior priests in private.

However in the context of a church already reeling from child abuse scandals, the revelation of his offences was drastically ill-timed. It was also reasonable for critics to wonder whether such crimes could be policed by someone whose own sexual conduct fell, as he confessed himself, so far below the standards expected by a priest.

As Cardinal O'Brien's successor at the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh said, he undermined more than his own position. Archbishop Leo Cushley spelled this out:"Cardinal O'Brien's behaviour distressed many, demoralised faithful Catholics and made the Church less credible to those who are not Catholic."

Pope Francis' announcement negates predictions that he would find a way to abandon the issue in the long reeds. Some will still feel he has not gone far enough. But the decision to send his personal envoy Archbishop Charles Scicluna to Scotland to investigate and this robust action are a clear indication that the Vatican will no longer tolerate the sweeping under the carpet of errant behaviour by priests.

While he may continue to call himself Cardinal, O'Brien can no longer perform any of the duties that belong to that office, such as vote in the election of any future pope. More than that, he may take no further formal part in any public, religious or civil events, from taking confession to delivering the last rites.

The treatment of Cardinal O'Brien is humiliating and makes clear there will be no comeback. While he may keep the red hat which went with his former role, it can only serve as a reminder of what he has lost.

Untold damage has been done to the church by the scandals of the past, particularly the quiet relocation of paedophile priests, despite their illegal behaviour. This frequently gave the impression that the Catholic Church simply felt itself to be above the law of the many countries where it operated in this way.

Failing to deal with misbehaviour within the clergy seriously, and condoning the concealment of abuse has left previous pontiffs hopelessly compromised.

Pope Francis has clearly set out on a different path, attempting to set the church on a more progressive course, based on truly Christian values. Only through such solid leadership and decisive action can the Catholic Church rebuild trust and bring this very unhappy period in its history to an end.