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Vatican tells bishops to follow law on abuse

Nicole Winfield Associated Press

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican on Monday responded to allegations it long concealed clerical sex abuse by making it clear for the first time that bishops and clerics worldwide should report such crimes to police if they are required to by law.

The policy, spelled out in a guide for laymen and posted on the Vatican’s Web site, matches the policy worked out by U.S. bishops after an explosion of sex abuse cases in 2002.

Unlike the American norms, however, the Vatican guide contains no call for “zero tolerance” for priests who rape and molest children, and victims immediately criticized it as insufficient.

The Vatican insists it has long been the Catholic Church’s policy for bishops, like all Christians, to obey civil reporting laws. But such an explicit policy had never been spelled out – until Monday.

“Civil law concerning reporting of crimes to the appropriate authorities should always be followed,” said the newly posted guideline.

The Rev. Thomas Reese, a Vatican analyst, said the guidelines will help parishioners hold bishops accountable.

“While the Vatican never told bishops they could not report abuse to the police, this is the first time the Vatican has been so clear on the responsibility to follow civil law concerning reporting of crimes,” said Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

Still, it was unclear what enforcement mechanism the guideline published Monday might have. It is just that – a guideline – and not an official instruction to bishops from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In addition, the guideline makes clear that bishops are to report “crimes” – not just allegations.

Victims were not impressed by Monday’s action.

“Let’s keep this in perspective: it’s one sentence and it’s virtually nothing unless and until we see tangible signs that bishops are responding,” said Joelle Casteix, western regional director for SNAP, the Survivors Network for Those Abused by Priests, the main victims group in the U.S.