General

Pope adopts stricter sex-abuse rules

Benedict XVI finally takes concrete measures to address crisis

The Pope has revised sexual abuse rules by streamlining Vatican procedures for prosecuting and disciplining priests accused of sexual abuse. The revisions were made to a 2001 papal decree issued by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and will double the statute of limitations on accused priests to 20 years from the alleged victim’s 18th birthday. The changes will increase the ability of Vatican authorities to take action against priests accused of abuse. The revisions were a monumental step for the Pope, who has been criticized for not moving fast enough to address the church’s sex abuse scandals.

Wall Street Journal

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