Pope Moves to Improve Transparency in Sex Abuse Cases
Pope to improve transparency
USA- The bbc.com writes that the Pope took steps to improve the transparency in the Church when it comes to sex abuse claims. The Church treated many of these claims with silence under the rule of “pontifical secrecy.” Some defended the stance as a way to keep the identities of the victims private.
Last Tuesday, the Church lifted the privacy-related reporting restrictions. Leaders have been asking for the rule to change in order to aid the investigations into abuse allegations and to increase transparency.
The Pope announced the end of “pontifical secrecy” in sex abuse cases but stated that any claims reported should be handled with appropriate confidentiality. He also instructed Church officials to work with judicial authorities and investigators within the confines of the law.
In addition to increasing transparency, the Church modified its definition of child pornography. The previous definition included images of children fourteen and under, but the rule now includes subjects up to the age of eighteen.
The massive sex abuse scandal has impacted the Catholic Church for years, with thousands of accusations surfacing. Senior members of the clergy were linked to coverup operations. The Pope and the Vatican have been facing public pressure to change the practices that protected abusers.
The idea of pontifical secrecy started as a way to keep sensitive information private when the Vatican communicated with papal embassies. The concept worked similar to governmental diplomatic cables. Over the years, some in the organization used the system to block police from investigating sex abuse claims. Now that the secrecy laws are lifted, the Vatican will release testimony collected in abuse cases to state authorities.
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