All Catholic priests and nuns worldwide are now required to report clergy sexual abuse and cover-up by their superiors as part of a sweeping new law implemented Thursday by Pope Francis. The law also includes whistle-blower protections for reporters.
Additionally, the law outlines procedures for launching preliminary investigations when the accused is a bishop, cardinal or religious superior, and every diocese around the globe has been ordered to develop a system to process confidential claims.
“We have said for years that priests must conform to certain strict rules, so why shouldn’t bishops and others in the hierarchy do the same?” Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Vatican office for bishops, said. “It’s not just a law, but a profound responsibility.”
The new rules come as the Roman Catholic Church deals with global sex abuse scandals in which the Catholic hierarchy has come under fire for failing to protect members and, in some instances, nuns.
Essentially, the law makes the world’s 415,000 Catholic priests and 660,000 religious sisters mandated reporters within the church, although they are not required to report abuses to law enforcement. The church has been reticent to require criminal reporting, citing fears it would endanger the church in places where Catholics are a persecuted minority. While criminal reporting is not required, clergy must obey civil…
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