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	New Vatican Rules Polarise Opinion By Emma Alberici ABC - Lateline July 16, 2010 http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s2956373.htm Transcript LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: There's been a mixed reaction to the announcement of new church guidelines issued by the Vatican. Among them are tougher rules dealing with sex abuse by priests. Supporters say they'll help expedite the handling of the most urgent cases. But critics have condemned new rules which label any attempt to ordain women as a grave crime, the same words used to describe sex abuse. Europe correspondent Emma Alberici. EMMA ALBERICI, REPORTER: Until now the Vatican's procedures for dealing with child sex abuse claims have been ad hoc. The new rules double the time in which a case can be brought and for the first time they classify pornography as a crime against church laws. And the document goes beyond cases involving minors. FEDERICO LOMBARDI, VATICAN SPOKESMAN (voiceover translation): If someone is mentally handicapped and that person is abused it is a particularly serious situation and so this person is made equal to minors. EMMA ALBERICI: According to the new rules, another grave crime is attempts to ordain women. Under the Vatican's laws, anyone encouraging women to become Catholic priests will be committing a crime as serious as child abuse. THERESE KOTURBASH, WOMENPRIESTS.ORG: This document is putting these two crimes in the same category. Actually, the crime of attempted ordination of a woman is worse, in terms of the way the Vatican views it. Any woman who attempts ordination or someone who assists her is immediately excommunicated, whereas paedophile priests, years to come to justice, shuffling around, hidden in the Church or promoted. EMMA ALBERICI: Women priests have been allowed in the Church of England since 1992, but traditionalists are so angry about current moves to allow female bishops that 70 disgruntled clergy met just last weekend with a Catholic bishop to discuss plans to defect to Rome. The Vatican says Pope Benedict's latest position on female priests and his open-armed welcome of Anglican clergy upset by the general synod's attempts to ordain women bishops is nothing more than a coincidence. AUSTIN IVEREIGH, CATHOLIC VOICES: This announcement would have been made today whatever the result of the synod. These are revisions to universal Church law, so they apply for the whole world. And it's about the code of canon law being updated. And they won't have thought of what's going on in the Church of England before they made it. EMMA ALBERICI: The new rules don't require bishops to report sex abuse claims to police and they provide no sanctions for those in the Church who cover up for abusers. CHARLES SCICLUNA, VATICAN DOCTRINAL OFFICIAL: I think it gives a signal that we are very, very serious on our commitment to promote safe environments and to offer an adequate response to abuse. EMMA ALBERICI: Critics say the announcement was a missed opportunity for the Vatican to finally introduce a "one strike and you're out" policy for paedophile priests. Emma Alberici, Lateline.
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