New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have welcomed Pope
Francis’ overnight approval of the new Book VI
of the Church’s Code of Canon Law which toughens
and extends sanctions against sexual abuse.
Bishop of
Hamilton Stephen Lowe, secretary of the NZ Catholic Bishops
Conference, says the new code makes it clear that bishops
must take decisive action when abuse is reported to
them.
The upgraded code makes punishment for offences
compulsory under Canon Law, as opposed to suggested as in
the previous version. It also now includes abuse of adults
and vulnerable people (described as persons with “an
imperfect use of reason”) as well as the persons under 16
covered by the previous code.
It says that a priest
who abuses, commits indecent exposure, or grooms someone
“is to be punished with deprivation of office and with
other just penalties, not excluding, where the case calls
for it, dismissal from the clerical state.”
“This
new chapter of Canon Law sets out how the Church must deal
with abusers in addition to the criminal law sanctions,”
said Bishop Lowe. “It removes a bishop’s former
discretion to use Canon Law to punish someone who has
committed abuse.
“The Church’s Canon Law exists
alongside the civil and criminal law of the land,” he
added. “This revision of Canon Law covers the discipline
of the Church alongside and beyond the civil law covering,
for example, processes for Church discipline in the light of
a civil prosecution, or for matters that might not meet the
criteria for a civil prosecution.
“This affirming
and widening by Pope Francis of the Canon Law provisions
against abuse is welcome and timely, especially as it comes
during the Royal Commission on
Abuse in Care, which the Catholic Church strongly
supports,” said Bishop Lowe.
“The Catholic Church
accepts the responsibility to act when abuse occurs in the
Church. We will act by listening, learning and supporting
those affected by abuse. We will act swiftly on complaints
and follow them through. We will hold those to account who
have been proven responsible for abuse. This upgrading of
Canon Law affirms that.”
Canon Law is the set of
internal laws that govern the running of the Catholic
Church. The last revision of Chapter VI was in 1983, and the
revision approved last night began in 2009.
Go here
for the
Vatican announcement of the new Chapter VI of the Code
of Canon Law.
Go here to read the
new Book
VI.
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