The Vatican, through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, yesterday issued a detailed guide for clerics on handling clergy sex abuse cases. Titled
Vademcum: On Certain Points of Procedure In Treating Cases of Sexual Abuse of Minors Committed By Clerics (
full text).
The guide provides in part:
17. 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 Vatican also issued a
press release summarizing the Vademcum. The
New York Times, reporting on these developments, said in part:
[T]he new instructions are not binding and were not enshrined in the church’s canon law, prompting criticism that the Vatican still gives bishops too much leeway in judging the conduct of their priests.
