As
previously reported, yesterday Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter titled
Vos Estis Lux Mundi setting out new procedures for mandatory reportingof sexual abuse to ecclesiastical authorities. The advocacy group ECA responded yesterday with a Statement (
full text) critical of the Pope, saying the Letter "appears to be designed to make no significant or meaningful change in how bishops and the Vatican deal with cases of child sex crimes by priests." The Statement says in part:
First, there will continue to be no mandatory reporting requirements for sex abuse to civil authorities by priests and bishops and no penalties for failing to do so.... [T]he Vatican often claims that mandatory reporting cannot be done in certain countries. If this is the case, the Vatican needs to identify which countries this would entail and why an exemption from reporting is necessary in that country....
Second, the process of reporting, investigating and determining a case remains entirely secret and in-house with the local bishop who will remain in complete control of the investigative process and all the information....
Third, and maybe most significantly, nothing in the document establishes or enacts zero tolerance for sexual abuse by priests....
