Rome: In order to deal with reports of clerical sex abuse in the Catholic church, the Vatican on Thursday released an instruction manual to properly conduct cases involving deacons, priests and bishops accused of child abuse. A welcome step towards a more unified response to a long-running scandal for the Catholic Church across the world.
Running into more than 30 pages and 9 chapters, the Vademecum (manual) includes points of procedure in the treatment of alleged crimes against minors committed by clerics”.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF)’s document mentions that even in cases where there is no explicit legal obligation to do so, the ecclesiastical authorities should make a report to the competent civil authorities if this is considered necessary to protect the person involved or other minors from the danger of further criminal acts.
The recipients of the document are bishops, ordinaries, superiors of the institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, as well as the operators of the law who help them in dealing with cases.
The need to develop such an instrument emerged during the meeting on “The Protection of Minors in the Church”, which took place in the Vatican between 21 and 24 February 2019. Pope Francis himself, at the end of the appointment, he stressed “the need for the unity of Bishops in the application of parameters that have the value of norms and not only of guidelines”.
The document, which remains open for future updates, also on the basis of current legislation, is available in Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish.
The present manual is meant to serve as a handbook for those charged with ascertaining the truth in such criminal cases, leading them step-by-step from the notitia criminis to the definitive conclusion of the case.
While not issuing new norms or altering current canonical legislation, this manual seeks to clarify the various stages of the procedures involved. Its use is to be encouraged, since a standardized praxis will contribute to a better administration of justice.
This Vademecum does not claim to replace the training of practitioners of canon law, especially with regard to penal and procedural matters. Only a profound knowledge of the law and its aims can render two service to truth and justice, which are especially to be sought in matters of graviora delicta by reason of the deep wounds they inflict upon ecclesial communion.