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Vatican Strengthens Rules Barring Abuse by Priests

   VOA News 15 July 2010
   Pope  Benedict XVI blesses faithful during the Angelus prayer from his
   studio's  window overlooking St. Peter's square at the Vatican, 27 Jun
   2010

Photo: AP

   Pope  Benedict XVI blesses faithful during the Angelus prayer from his
   studio's  window overlooking St. Peter's square at the Vatican, 27 Jun
   2010 (file)

   The  Vatican  has  issued  new rules aimed at cracking down on priests
   accused of sexual abuse.
   The  revisions disclosed Thursday extend the time limit for complaints
   about  priestly  abuse  -  the  statute of limitations - from 10 years
   after  the  victim's  18th  birthday to at least 20 years.  The rules
   clarify  that  abuse  of  a mentally handicapped adult is as serious a
   crime  as  child abuse.  Possessing or distributing child pornography
   also is listed as a serious offense.
   The changes update Vatican regulations dating back to 2001.  They are
   in the first major document issued by the Vatican since the priest sex
   abuse scandal intensified this year, with hundreds of new cases coming
   to  light.   Senior  Vatican officials say the new rules on sex-abuse
   cases  reinforce Pope Benedict XVI's effort to repair the image of the
   Roman  Catholic  Church  in  the wake of the abuse scandal.  The pope
   himself  faced  allegations  that as archbishop of Munich, he shielded
   predator priests from punishment.
   The  document  issued  Thursday  also lists as a "grave crime" against
   church  law  any attempt to ordain a woman to the priesthood.  Church
   spokesmen  said  this  codifies  a papal decree in 2007 declaring that
   women can not be priests.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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