Pope Francis And Catholic Church Pass New Law Requiring Priests, Nuns To Report Abuse

In an effort to battle child abuse worldwide, the Vatican has passed sweeping law changes aimed to properly punish abusers.

The laws were issued on Thursday by Pope Francis and will set stricter mandates on reporting abuse. It will require Catholic priests and nuns that suspect possible abuse or cover-ups by their superiors to church authorities. “Whistleblowers” will also be granted protections for making a report, reports NBC.

Once the law goes into place, dioceses will need to have programs in place for abuse reports to be filed confidentially. There will also be outlines for local dioceses to conduct a preliminary investigation before the larger investigation begins.

“We have said for years that priests must conform to certain strict rules, so why shouldn't bishops and others in the hierarchy do the same? It's not just a law, but a profound responsibility,” said Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Vatican office for bishops.

This is also just the latest step Pope Francis has taken in combating abuse within the Catholic Church worldwide and restore trust in the church.

The new law will also be retroactive once it goes into effect, requiring priests and nuns to report all abuse claims regardless of the year. This could mean the papacy will see a massive influx of reports very quickly after the law is made official.

It’s worth noting that the law does not require reporting abuse to police. The argument here is that it will protect the church and church officials in areas where Catholics may be a persecuted minority.

The law goes into effect starting June 1.