In a few days the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is to publish the responses to bishops’ proposals for combating sex abuse in the clergy.
In recent weeks bishops from across the world sent the Holy See their guidelines for preventing and combating sex abuse against minors perpetrated by clerics.
In the next few days the Vatican will publish a preliminary report containing the assessment of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This is a delicate task given the diversity in the various Episcopates’ opinions on such a distressing topic.
Most of the world’s Episcopates have already responded to the call from the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, William Levada, in a letter dated 3 May 2011.
In the letter, the cardinal asked all Episcopal conferences to put together their own set of guidelines for combating the scourge of paedophilia in their respective areas. The deadline was set for the end of May 2012.
Levada asked that said documents establish clear and coordinated procedures for managing cases and dealing with the problem in a timely and efficient manner, through guidelines that are suitable for each local area. Guidelines which should take into account the civil law of each respective country.
These guidelines have been in force for years in some countries, particularly in countries such as the U.S., Ireland, Germany and Austria, where most of the abuse cases were recorded. Some Episcopates based their laws on the experiences of these countries.
In this initial stage of the procedure, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith just received bishops’ texts but has not yet given authorisation for their implementation.
Even the Italian texts have not yet been approved given the controversies over bishops not being obliged to report alleged abuse cases to the civil authorities.
Mgr. Crociata, Secretary General of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), justified this by claiming that the Italian Church “cannot ask a bishop to become a public prosecutor.”
He added: “We cannot ask to take the initiative” and report an alleged paedophile because it is “against the law” although “there is nothing to stop us from doing so.”
The letter sent by Cardinal Levada in 2011very clearly requested that the guidelines include: “cooperation with the civil authority within their responsibilities” and adherence to “the prescriptions of civil law.”
This cooperation must not be limited to cases of abuse by clerics but should also extend to employees of ecclesiastical structures.