NEW YORK
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
May 22, 2019
By Christine P. Bartholomew
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
Christine P. Bartholomew, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
(THE CONVERSATION) Pope Francis recently changed the Catholic Church law, making it mandatory for clergy to report sexual abuse to church superiors. In the past, such reporting was left to the discretion of a priest or nun.
Pope Francis’ proposal is an effort to address gaps in the regulatory process of the church, which has been accused of shielding clergy sexual abuse. It provides a process to report allegations up the pipeline.
As a scholar of law I worry that it fails to address what the church will do with that information.
To date, religious organizations, such as the Catholic Church, have adopted inconsistent positions on whether, and to what degree, they should share information necessary for legal action.
Clergy across various religions, ranging from Christians to Catholics to Muslims to Jews, are willing to share evidence in cases of violent crimes, such as murders. But when the evidence pertains to clergy misconduct, namely sexual abuse, the tide changes.
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