Kurt Sansone
Vatican speeds up sex abuse cases
Church regulations make attempted ordination of women a serious crime
Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's sex crimes prosecutor (left) and Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi talking to the media during a briefing to present a new set of norms. Photo: Andrew Medichini/AP
The Vatican may by-pass its own judicial process and issue an "extrajudicial decree" against priests involved in sex abuse cases under new regulations intended to speed up procedures.
Regulations published yesterday by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also stipulate that the more serious cases necessitating the removal of an offender from the priesthood could be dealt with directly by the Pope.
According to the Vatican's sex abuse prosecutor, Mgr Charles Scicluna, decisions on the type of procedures adopted in particular cases were taken by the Congregation as soon as a bishop transmitted the acts of the preliminary investigation by the Response Team.
"Delays in the preliminary investigation are a strong argument for more expedite procedures in the following stages," Mgr Scicluna said when asked whether the case involving a number of Maltese men, who alleged sex abuse by priests at a Church-run orphanage, fell within the parameters of an extrajudicial decree given that it has dragged on for seven years.
Mgr Scicluna was in Malta last month to meet the alleged victims and collect their testimony first-hand.
The Congregation already had special extrajudicial permission granted to it by Pope John Paul II in 2003 and confirmed by his successor in 2005. However, according to Mgr Scicluna, the new regulations make this special permission an integral part of canon law.
The regulations dealing with "most serious crimes" are intended to speed up procedures in sex abuse cases and are a clear response to worldwide criticism of the Church's slow reaction in dealing with such matters.
For the first time, the Vatican has also included child pornography as a serious crime. Priests will be punished if they acquire, possess or distribute pornographic images of minors under age 14.
The Church also increased the prescription period for abuse victims to be able to report their case to 20 years from 10, with the possibility of an extension even beyond that period. This means victims can be up to 38 years of age - 20 years after reaching maturity age - when reporting abuse.
Abuse of mentally disabled adults by priests will now be considered as grave as abuse of minors.
The regulations reiterated the Vatican's stand that Church authorities have to comply with the requirements of civil law in the various countries and to do so "in good time".
The regulations were an update of the document approved by Pope John Paul II in 2001, which gave the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responsibility to deal with and judge a series of particularly serious crimes within the remit of canon law.
Apart from sex abuse by priests, the regulations yesterday gave wider powers to the Congregation when dealing with serious crimes involving heresy, apostasy and schism. The regulations also make the attempted ordination of women a serious crime.
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Chev Chris Galea
Jul 17th 2010, 10:08
Our English friend "Sister" Maureen should also point out at the higher percentage of reported abuse allegations against other Ministers or Church officials in other religious denominations or in other religions before exposing her hidden agenda of attacking the Catholic Church.
Sister or Dr Maureen should avoid mixing the women priests issue with abuses. While I am sure our English friend is a good advocate, she should have also exposed the problems and abuses being faced by Muslim women in her so called tolerant Protestant and Muslim Great Britain. The Catholic Church was brave enough to tackle the abuse problems; an issue other religions have failed to do. We are NOT COWARDS !
Joseph Schembri
Jul 16th 2010, 22:41
Pornography is a very vague word. Even in our law courts it is up to the magistrate in question to decide what pornography is. Take a look at the social networking site hi5 and look at the pictures young people upload of themselves. Also take a look at this article about an exhibition in Valletta where children are photographed alongside adults in erotic and semi nude poses. Is this porn for you? This was at St. James in Valletta: http://malta-exposed.blogspot.com/2010/01/defiled-children-sic.html
Maureen Paul Turlish
Jul 16th 2010, 21:51
See this for what it is.
Little more than another public relations move and not a very good.
One wonders why, with the millions of dollars being spent every year by dioceses, individual bishops and bishops' conferences in the United States and around the world, the institutional church hasn't put a better face forward especially during the last decade.
By including the ordination of women as a most serious crime in the same breath as the sexual abuse of children the aim was probably to deflect attention from the church's continuing sexual abuse problems world wide.
Church hierarchs succeeded in stoking the fires of a number of issues with the women's ordination issue and the discussion surrounding it that has been going on for years.
The pandemic of the sexual abuse of children by those representing the RCC, the cover up orchestrated by bishops and outher authorities around the world and the collusion of some of the civil authorities should not even be mentioned in the same breath let alone in the same document recently released by the Vatican.
It is appalling; an unforgivable insult to every woman and victim.
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims' Advocate
New Castle, Delaware
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com
H Galea
Jul 16th 2010, 13:27
PITY THESE WERE NO LONGER ALLIGATIONS AS THE HOLY FATHER CALLED THEM !!!!! If we bowed our heads as in the past, we would be all abused including generations to come. Correct me if i am wrong, but do you accept that alter boys being a closed room, and to enter someone from inside has to unlock the door. This is giving me suspession.'' The church should make a stop as to where alter boys should tread''
Edward Mallia
Jul 16th 2010, 12:36
I would like to second both Louise Vella and D. Azzopardi on the points raised. The apprent speeding up of Church procedures against paedophile priests still smacks of a yearning after 'immunita\ ecclesiastica'. As such acts constitute a crime in present-day societies, then all this claim to speeding up Church action is a bit of a smokescreen. The quickest way-- even if at some risk of miscarrages of justice -- is for the local bishop to report to the civil authorities the moment he has significant evidence. Diocesan or Vatican response teams can only delay the course of justice.
As for even mentioning, never mind placing attempts at ordination of women in the same basket as clerical paedophilia, hersey, schism and apostasy, that really does not say much for the Christan sensitivities of Benedict, Charles or Federigo. In fact it is a remarkably crass thing to do. Phoebe, the deaconess of the Church of Cenchrae, Prisca the wife of Aquila, whose house served as a church in Rome,and their promoter, one Paul of Tarsus, last heard of in Rome (Romans, Ch.16 vv.1-3) would certainly have something to say .
Peter Cardona
Jul 16th 2010, 12:06
Its not just sex abuse on children that priests dan, there are other serious crimes, what about the abuse on the spring water of the Nadur Farmers and their familes? isint this a big crime ? that the Nadur Church constracted a Cemetery on an aquifer that produced 11 streams of fresh natural water.
Joseph Schembri
Jul 16th 2010, 11:15
A step in the right direction/. Well done! I am also satisfied to note that the Church defines 'minor' when it comes to pornography as someone under 14. In Malta the law has just become much harsher so that if anyone views on their PC a photo, or even a drawing of a scantily dressed 18 year old minus one day they will be in deep trouble. This does not make sense.
Melissa Bagley
Jul 16th 2010, 20:44
So you mean pornography involving a minor who is 14 and a 1/2 years old, or 15, is acceptable? Sorry, can't agree on pornography involving people under the age of 18.
J Cachia
Jul 16th 2010, 11:01
With regards to sex abuse by priests, as our law currently stands, even if the church would report the abuse to the police, the police cannot take action unless a complaint has been filed by the party who was abused or by his family unless the abuse was commited in a public place
Joseph Schembri
Jul 16th 2010, 11:44
I never agreed that the church should report ANY crime committed by its members to the police. That is not their job. Let us not mix human law (and the police) with matters of religion as that is a dangerous thing.
D Azzopardi
Jul 16th 2010, 10:30
I think that having regulations against women priests issued in the same regulations as paedophile priests disgusting. A women who wants to pass on God's love to others should never ever be compared to someone who abuses children. Even issuing the regulations together is bad, let alone having the SAME maximum punishment for both cases, that of being defrocked. In the eyes of the Church, abusing kids and ordaining a woman priest are of the same gravity. I'm afraid something is very wrong in whoever thinks this way.
M Vella
Jul 16th 2010, 11:27
I cant agree with you more,this is insulting to the female sex
Paul Grech
Jul 16th 2010, 11:32
@D Azzopardi
You might want to research the topic a little bit more.
It's not as simple as yet another equality right for women. People are often misguided in prioritising social equality above their Catholic faith/teachings.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0001.html
D Azzopardi
Jul 16th 2010, 11:49
@ Paul Grech
I'm not saying that the Catholic Church's Internal Rules regarding women priests have to be changed. What I find insulting is that they equate a women priest with paedophilia. That is what I find truly disgusting.
Whether a women can be a priest is another argument, though I personally believe that God's grace and love can be transmitted by everyone, not exclusively be men.
R. Brincat
Jul 16th 2010, 12:39
Mela tajba din mela fejn irridu nghidu li l pulizija li hi xihaga civili m ghandiex tidhol fl affarijiet tal knisja u fejn irridu bhal fil kas tad divorzju l knisja ma jimpurtax tindahal f affarijiet civili ha ha ha. taffu tiragunaw ta. Il knisja mhux veru se tamel xi haga f dan ir rigward ghax in nies li jmexxu l knisja jigifieri ta fuq net u mhux qeda nghid ghal l isqof ta malta jew ta ghawdex, HUMA ARROGANTI
Louise Vella
Jul 16th 2010, 10:24
III
Whatever the Vatican issues, the fact will always remain that sexual abuse of children is a criminal act under the law of the land. It should be punished by the country’s courts according to the country’s laws. Sexual abuse of children by priests should not be subject to an in-house justice system meeting out in-house punishments. Criminal acts by laymen (such as schoolteachers) are not punished by defrocking. Why should they be for priests?
The Vatican should undertake to report all persons (priests or not) suspected of paedophile acts to the civil authorities. Maltese law should lay down that heads of institutions (Boy Scouts, football nurseries, the Catholic Church and the institutions coming under it etc) who get to know of paedophile acts taking place in their institution are obliged at law to report the matter to the police.
Louise Vella
Jul 16th 2010, 10:09
II
Edmund Burke stated that “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”. Children are safe when molesters are exposed. It is very rare that a child predator, especially if he is a priest, only abuses one child.
No rules of any institution should be allowed to beat the laws of a civilized society where the protection of children is concerned. When wrong-doing goes unpunished, wrong-doing is rewarded and repeated. History will judge us all if we do not bring all institutions to account for the suffering of children. So it is highly important that mandatory reporting of child abuse be introduced in Malta without further delay.
Louise Vella
Jul 16th 2010, 10:08
I
The new rules issued by the Vatican make no mention of the need for bishops to report clerical sex abuse to police, and do not punish bishops who cover up for abusers. So it is business as usual for the Catholic Church in Malta. The Maltese bishops will not be reporting crimes by priest child rapists to civil authorities. The bishops will continue to hide criminal priest child molesters, from the police and the public, with a clear conscience. The new rules are clearly insufficient and do not make Maltese children any safer.
Therefore the ball is now in the government’s court and Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici must immediately issue new rules to enforce reporting of child abuse by institutions, including the Church, to protect children instead of molesters. Dr Mifsud Bonnici must also order the bishops to open up the archives on sexual abuse by priests to see what incriminating evidence they have been hiding. Civil authorities must prosecute priests who are dangerous to children.