Scottish Catholic Observer

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith laid out fresh guidelines for fighting child sexual abuse. The circular letter to all bishops’ conferences was released on Monday and gives instructions for preparing policies and guidelines for dealing with cases of clerical sexual abuse of minors.

The letter states that it is important for dioceses to cooperate with police in reporting priests who molest children and adds that bishops should develop new guidelines for preventing sex abuse in line with the new teaching by next May.

It also states independent lay review boards that have been created in some countries to oversee the Church’s child protection policies ‘cannot substitute’ for bishops’ judgment and power.

Prompt response

In a letter accompanying the circular, Cardinal William Levada (above), Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, urged all bishops to respond promptly to the call.

“In order to facilitate the correct application of these norms and other issues related to the abuse of minors, it seems opportune that each Episcopal Conference prepare guidelines whose purpose will be to assist the Bishops of the Conference to follow clear and coordinated procedures in dealing with these instances of abuse,” he wrote. “Such guidelines would take into account the concrete situation of the jurisdictions within the Episcopal Conference.

“Each Conference of Bishops is asked to send a copy of the completed Guidelines to the Congregation by the end of May 2012.”

Past mistakes

Lay review committees in the US and Ireland have recently reported that some bishops ‘failed miserably’ in following their own guidelines and had thwarted the boards’ work by withholding information and by enacting legal hurdles that made ensuring compliance impossible.

In the letter, the Vatican told the bishops ‘it is important to cooperate’ with civil law enforcement authorities and follow civil reporting requirements, though it doesn’t make such reporting mandatory. The Vatican has said such a binding rule would be problematic for priests working in countries with repressive regimes.

The letter told the bishops’ conferences to draft guidelines for preventing abuse and caring for victims and report them back to the Congregation by May 2012. It said bishops should be prepared to listen to victims, to create ‘safe environment’ programmes for minors and to better screen seminarians and ensure they receive proper training about celibacy and the damage done to victims of sex abuse.

The letter also stresses that accused priests are presumed innocent until the contrary is proven.

Further guidance

Fr Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican press office said: “We need to address the problem promptly and effectively with clear, organic, indications that are suitable to local situations and in relation to the norms and civil authorities. The indication of a specific date and a relatively short period within which all Episcopal conferences must develop guidelines is clearly a very strong and eloquent statement.”

He added that bishops in most English-speaking countries have already specified guidelines on tackling abuse, in particular in the United States, Ireland, England and Wales, Scotland, New Zealand, Malta, Australia and Canada.

The preparation of the document released on Monday was at the time of the publication of new rules for the implementation of the motu proprio Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela. Cardinal Levada later informed of its preparation during the meeting of the Cardinals at the November 2010 Consistory.

“This Dicastery remains at the disposal of your Episcopal Conference should there be any need for clarification or assistance in the preparation of such Guidelines,” the cardinal said this week. “In the event that the conference wishes to establish binding norms, it will be necessary to request the appropriate recognitio from the competent Dicasteries of the Roman Curia.”

— To read guidelines in full visit http://sconews.co.uk/news/9301/guidelines-in-cases-of-sexual-abuse/