The Congregation of The Doctrine Of Faith

 

To All Catholic bishops:


Crimes against morals, namely: the crimes committed by a cleric against the Sixth Commandment of the Decalogue with a minor below the age of 18 years:?

It must be noted that the criminal action against crimes by Catholics against minors expires after 10 years if no charges have been brought under common civil law. Under canon law however, the crimes by a cleric against a minor the statute of limitations begins to run from the day when the minor has reached the age 18th years. The minor must also sign an oath of secrecy when he brings a complaint against a member of clergy.

When the trial begins, the judge, and legal representatives, can only be priests. All the facts of the case are to be transmitted ex officio [outside of diplomatic channels] as soon as possible to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cases of this kind are subject to the pontifical secret and the strictest secrecy, and breaking it can result in excommunication among other penalties not only for victims but priests as well. All fact of the cases are to diligently stored in the secret archives of the Vatican and marked as 'strictly confidential'. Nor are the facts of any case to be published or commented on.

 

Signed: Cardiinal Ratzinger [now Pope Benedict]

           Co signed: Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone


 

Bertone commented later: ' the demand that a bishop be made or be expected to contact the police in order to file charges against a priest even if he has admitted abusing a child, is not true

A professor of canon law, Father John Beal, gave an oath stating that the letter extended the church's jurisdiction and control over sexual assault cases.

Vatican secrecy works against victims as shown here: Out of 3,000 priests accused of child abuse within the Catholic Church between 2001 and 2010 only six were defrocked immediately and a lot less than that later on. This information is provided by their own chief prosecutor, Msgr Charles J Scicluna. He also stated that the rest of them were prohibited from saying mass and the like.

As far as this pope is concerned, the tears he cried in front of victims of child abuse and most especially the world on the 19 april 2110 in Malta, were not for them but for himself. This man, an unwitting liar helped the truth by lying just a little too much, and was found out. When he cried was when he knew it.

Barry Clifford

Oughterard   Galway Ireland