AUSTRALIA
The Guardian
Christopher Knaus
Thursday 9 February 2017
The Catholic church’s “pontifical secret” rule is still preventing bishops from disclosing child sexual abuse allegations in some states, an expert has said.
The royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse on Thursday began to examine how canon law contributes to the secrecy surrounding child abuse within the Catholic church.
Since 1974, an instruction from the pope known as Secreta Continere, or the pontifical secret, has imposed strict secrecy on the investigation and handling of child abuse allegations within the church.
The royal commission has heard the rule contributed to the failure of the church to refer abuse allegations to police and other civil authorities.
In 2010, the Holy See relaxed the secrecy provisions, telling church leaders they must obey any civil law compelling them to disclose information about abuse. But many Australian state and territories do not have explicit laws requiring the reporting of child abuse complaints.
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