Pope abolishes secrecy laws for clergy sex abuse cases
December 17, 2019
The "pontifical secret," the highest level of confidentiality in the Catholic Church, will no longer apply in clergy sex abuse cases. The reform removes a major hurdle that prevented police from investigating crimes.
The "pontifical secret," the highest level of confidentiality in the church, will no longer apply in connection with "accusations, trials and decision" related to certain offenses, the Vatican said in a statement.
Those offenses include sexual acts committed under threat or abuse of authority as well as the sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable people and child pornography. The secrecy laws will also not apply to those who fail to report abusers or actively try to cover up cases.
Abolishing the secrecy laws now removes any excuse not to cooperate with legal requests from police, prosecutors or other authorities.
"The carnival of obscurity is over,'' said Juan Carlos Cruz, a prominent Chilean survivor of clergy abuse and victim advocate.
Easing cooperation with police
The reform was hailed as an "epochal decision" by the Vatican's leading sex crimes investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna.
Interview with a sexual abuse survivor
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For years, the church said the secrecy laws were necessary to protect the reputation of the accused and the privacy of the victim. The secrecy also helped keep scandals hidden from the public and prevented law enforcement from accessing documents.
Documents from the church's own legal proceedings in abuse cases will still not be made available to the public.
Clergy are also still not required by the church to report cases of abuse to police, but the new law says religious superiors are obliged to report when civil laws require it.
Tightening laws on child sex abuse
In a separate decree, Francis also tightened the church's laws concerning child pornography as part of the church's response to the spread of the abusive images online.
The cutoff age below which the Vatican considers pornographic images to be child pornography was raised from 14 to 18.
The Catholic Church has been under fire over widespread child sex abuse perpetuated for decades by clergy and covered up by high-ranking church members.
In February, Francis hosted a crisis summit on the issue with bishops from around the world, vowing reforms and an end to covering up crimes carried out by priests and other church officials.
"By the Grace of God," premiering in Berlin, depicts the Church's attempted cover-up of a sex abuse scandal. Such cases have long been explored by feature films. Here are a few memorable works.
Image: Jean-Claude Moireau
'By the Grace of God' (2019)
Francois Ozon's Berlinale entry focuses on the true story of a group of sex abuse victims who've formed an association to break the silence, years after they were molested by a priest in Lyon. The father's widespread abuse was known by his diocese's cardinal and even the Vatican. The actual Cardinal Barbarin, who attempted to cover up the case, is now on trial and could end up in prison.
Image: Jean-Claude Moireau
'Spotlight' (2016)
Based on a true story, this biographical drama directed by Tom McCarthy follows a team of reporters from "The Boston Globe" as they uncover systemic child sex abuse by Catholic priests in their city. "Spotlight" garnered six Oscar nominations and won for best picture and best screenplay. The actual investigation also earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2003.
Dark images, silhouetted actors shown out of focus: It's the cinematography of a horror film. Chilean director Pablo Larrain tackled an explosive topic in "The Club," in which four retired Catholic priests live in a secluded house and there "purge" horrible crimes, including child sex abuse. Larrain was inspired by true stories of high-level priests who live in hiding to avoid criminal charges.
Image: Fabula
'Verfehlung' (2015)
The German film "Verfehlung" (Misconduct) by Gerd Schneider depicts how the friendship of three priests is affected by a sex abuse scandal. One of them is accused of molesting teenage boys, and the two others react to their friend's situation in different ways. The way they deal with the truth could impact not only their relationship, but also their career in the ranks of the Church.
Image: Camino-Filmverleih
'Philomena' (2013)
With "Philomena," Stephen Frears deals with another aspect of the Church's institutional abuse: women who were forcibly separated from their children born out of wedlock. The film is based on the true story of Philomena Lee, whose son was taken away by the nuns at the convent where she was forced to work and sold to wealthy Americans. Actress Judi Dench portrayed the older Philomena.
Image: Imago/Zuma Press
'Bad Education' (2004)
While Pedro Almodovar's drama "Bad Education" is a stylized murder mystery playing on different levels of metafiction, it also tells the story of a young boy being molested by a Catholic priest in his boarding school. Ignacio, the abused child, is later a transgender woman who confronts the abusive father and blackmails him.
Image: Imago/United Archives
'The Magdalene Sisters' (2002)
The Magdalene Asylums, also known as Magdalene laundries, were Catholic Church institutions that served as a reformatory for women labelled as "fallen." Peter Mullan's 2002 drama portrays one such home, telling the story of four young women who were sent there by their families, or caretakers, and who faced extreme cruelty and abuse by nuns. The last such institution closed in 1996.
Image: picture-alliance/United Archives/Impress
'Primal Fear' (1996)
A 19-year-old altar boy (Edward Norton, in his Oscar-nominated film debut) is accused of brutally murdering an influential Catholic Archbishop. An ambitious defense lawyer (Richard Gere) takes on his case. In the course of the trial, it is revealed that the beloved archbishop had abusive tendencies and had forced altar boys into sex.
