Pontiff was responsible for revising and harming punishments for clerics who abuse minors and vulnerable; also instituted ombudsmen in dioceses to address the subject
Pope Francis, who died on Monday (21.br.2025) at 88, played an important role in combating pedophilia within the Catholic Church. During his papacy, Francisco apologized to the victims of sexual abuse by church members and expelled religious from their positions, such as the US cardinal in 2019, after being convicted of minors violations.
One of his great achievements for the theme was the creation of one, also in 2019. From the meeting, the Pope ordered the suspension of the pontifical secret about sexual abuse crimes committed by clergy members.
The Pontiff has also established the obligation for religious to report any case to the type to superiors. In addition, dioceses’ ombudsman platforms around the world were created to protect children and adolescents from sexual abuse within the church.
“The church must be ashamed and ask for forgiveness. Try to resolve this situation with Christian humility and do everything possible so that it does not happen again,” said Francis in September 2024. The statement was when the clergy in Belgium. The year before, it was reported that thousands of children were sexually abused and forcibly removed from their mothers from 1955 to the mid -1980s.
In 2010, Belgium’s oldest bishop Roger Vangheluwe of Bruges was allowed to resign without punishment after admitting that he had sexually abused his nephew for 13 years when he was 5 to 18 years old. However, in March 2024, Francis dismissed him, and.
One of Francisco’s strictest speeches on the subject was held in December 2018, when the central government of the Church in the Vatican and addressed the issue for about 20 minutes.
“It is clear that the Church, in the face of these abomins, will spare no effort, doing everything necessary to give to justice every person who has committed such offenses,” the Pontiff said. He also warned the abusive clerics: “Convert, surrender to human justice and prepare you to divine justice,” Pope Francis told a speech to the members of the Roman Curia
Francisco’s speeches came accompanied by structural and legislative changes within the Catholic Church. Still in 2014, about 1 year after starting the papacy, Francisco created minor protection, or, in charge of proposing initiatives to dioceses in the reception of abuse victims. From 2014 to 2022, the pontiff issued 15 documents related to sexual abuse of minors committed by clergy members.
Hardening of rules
In June 2021, the Vatican has released the last 40 years and hardened the rules against clerics that abuse vulnerable minors or adults and use the positions of authority within the Church to force sexual acts.
The review had been underway since 2009 at the request of Pope Emeritus Benedict 16. It involved the entire section 6 of the Code of Canon Law of the Church, a set of 7 books with about 1,750 articles established guidelines and punishment for rules violators.
The changes approved by Pope Francis configured the highest review provided that the code approved by Pope John Paul 2nd (1920-2005) in 1983 and came into force in December 2021. In a statement that accompanied the publication, the pontiff said the rules needed to be in permanent correlation with “Social changes and with the new demands that arise from the people of God”.
By 2020, an internal report of the Catholic Church concluded that former US cardeal Theodore McCarrick abused his authority to force seminarians to sleep with him. He was dismissed in 2019 on charges of sexual abuse. According to the document, João Paulo 2 knew the accusations against McCarrick before promoting him to the position of Washington Archbishop in 2000
According to Francisco, the review aimed to favor the unity of the Church in the application of penalties, “Especially with regard to crimes that cause greater damage and scandals in the community”. The changes, therefore, according to the Argentine Pope, served to “Reduce cases where the application of sanctions is at the discretion of the authorities”.
The sexual abuse of minors was placed in a new section entitled “Offenses against human life, dignity and freedom”And replaced the previous, more vague version, called “Crimes against special obligations”. The New Code establishes the suspension and/or dismissal of the clerical position to those who commit an offense against the 6th commandment of the Decalogue, which preaches chastity in words and works, with a minor or with person “Usually imperfect in the use of reason”.
The same punishment applies to the cleric that entitles smaller and vulnerable to induce them to “If you expose pornographically” and the religious who “Acquire, retain, display or distribute” Pornographic images through any technology.
According to the new version of the Catholic Law of 2021, they are subject to automatic excommunication Catholic ministers who order women for church positions, as well as women who receive ordination not accepted by the Vatican.
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