Lifting of pontifical secrets boon for children

Sexual abuse by rogue religious leaders violates children’s rights.

And when done on such a wide scale as globally under the veil of religion, then it borders on crimes against humanity.

The threat posed by caregivers-turned-abusers in the church is huge. Even Pope Francis acknowledges that the Catholic Church is not free of blemish.

On December 4, he abolished the pontifical secret in the case of sexual violence and the abuse of minors committed by members of the clergy. He also changed the age of child pornography from 14 to 18.

The Vatican prides itself for “zero tolerance” on sexual abuse and the lifting of pontifical secrets should echo that.

But despite pleas to the Holy See to provide suggestions to protect children from sexual predators, evidence confirms that the church was more concerned about its reputation than the safety of children.

Paedophilia scandals perpetrated by its priests and officials have rocked the church to its core globally — in Chile, Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Australia and the US.

It is more than a coincidence that over 1,000 children, most of whom are now adults, have alleged being abused by priests.

And the endemic nature of the scandal and elaborate cover-up by the church, whether as an accessory or otherwise, is criminal.

Even the UN has accused the Vatican of systematically adopting policies that allow priests to sexually abuse thousands of children.

Cases of such abuse abound. The behaviour of Fr John Geoghan, an alleged serial sexual predator who abused more than 130 people, was facilitated by the hierarchy of the Archdiocese of Boston as he was transferred from parish to parish in cover-up schemes.

A 2003 report by the Massachusetts attorney-general said at least 789 children, maybe more than 1,000, were sexually abused by 250 priests and other church workers in the archdiocese since 1940.

Allegations in Ireland in 2009 revealed abuse, cover-ups and hierarchical failings involving thousands of victims.

Four Dublin archbishops covered up cases of abuse from 1975 to 2004.

In March 2010, children signed vows of silence over complaints against a paedophiliac priest, Fr Brendan Smyth. Pope Benedict XVI apologised to the Irish victims.

In August last year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court shed light on one of the broadest investigations into sexual abuse of children in the US by Catholic priests.

A 1,400-page grand jury report, the result of an 18-month probe by Pennsylvania State Attorney-General Josh Shapiro, named at least 300 priests accused by more than 1,000 victims.

But while the lifting of pontifical secrets allows transparency and ability of the police and other civil legal authorities to request information from the church, information on cases should be treated with “security, integrity and utmost confidentiality”.

Further, Pope Francis instructed Vatican officials to comply with civil laws and assist civil judicial authorities in investigating such cases.

Sadly, child sexual abusers hiding under the cassock only receive a slap on the wrist.

Perpetrators become emboldened when the deterrent element of the punishment treats them with kid’s gloves.

And some are never deterred at all — as observed in the US Supreme Court case Gregg versus Georgia in 1976.