Vatican Releases Guide on How Leaders Must Handle Abuse Allegations

VATICAN CITY
NetNY.tv and Catholic News Service

July 16, 2020

By Melissa Butz and Carol Glatz

The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a 17-page document offering a step-by-step guide for how bishops, religious superiors and canon lawyers are supposed to handle accusations of alleged abuse by clerics against minors.

While nothing in the text is new, nor does it reflect any change to current church law, the handbook is meant to present clear and precise directions, procedures as well as attitudes church leaders should have toward victims, the accused, civil authorities and the media.

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