This appeared in the National Post, Jan 19:
The Vatican told Irish bishops in 1997 not to report all suspected pedophile priests to police, according to a newly unearthed letter.
The letter, marked "strictly confidential," was sent by the late Archbishop Luciano Storero, Pope John Paul's top official in Ireland, in response to recommendations made by Irish bishops in 1996. The bishops wanted all allegations of clerical abuse to be reported to authorities. However, the letter from Archbishop Storero says that some of the bishops' recommendations "appear contrary to canonical discipline."
It goes on, "In particular the situation of 'mandatory reporting' gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and canonical nature."
The Archbishop then tells the bishops that the Code of Canon Law must be followed concerning accusations against priests.
link: Don't report pedophiles, Vatican urged Irish bishops
The Irish Times offered:
Storero’s January 1997 letter voiced concerns of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy about the Irish church’s 1996 Child Sex Abuse framework document. “In particular, the situation of ‘mandatory reporting’ gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and canonical nature,” wrote Dr Storero.
Amnesty International’s Irish director and abuse victim Colm O’Gorman said the letter was highly incriminating, and proof that the Vatican had “deliberately and wilfully been instructing bishops not to report priests”.
link: Vatican denies it told bishops not to report abuse - The Irish Times - Thu, Jan 20, 2011
The Vatican, in full defensive mode, denied that it had instructed bishops not to report abuse to legal authorities with an incredible argument that it only meant to point out the potential for conflict between secular and canonical law.
Fr Federico Lombardi said the letter had been misinterpreted: “It must be pointed out that the letter in no way indicates that the law of the land should not be adhered to. However, the letter also insists on the importance of always respecting canon law in order to avoid situations where guilty parties might not find a cause for appeal and therefore obtain the opposite result to that desired.”
Fr Lombardi argued that the “reservations” about “mandatory reporting” referred to in the letter concerned the impact that such reporting might have on any subsequent canonical proceeding.
For example, if reporting to civil authorities involved breaking the seal of confession, then this would pose canonical problems and perhaps afford grounds for a successful appeal by the abuser priest.
link: Vatican denies it told bishops not to report abuse - The Irish Times - Thu, Jan 20, 2011
Rome was concerned that a priest might not get a fair trial in a subsequent church trial if had already been a conviction in a state criminal court. In other words, if the church wanted to punish a priest for breaking the secrecy of the confessional in order to aid an abused child, it might be difficult for the public to understand the church's case had a priest already been found guilty of a criminal offence.
Well, well, can't have that.
