Pope Francis issues sweeping new church laws to enforce accountability on sexual abuse

Pope Francis issued a new set of sweeping laws Thursday to enforce accountability and punish cover-ups of sexual abuse in Catholic parishes around the world. The new rules, contained in an apostolic letter titled Vos estis lux mundi ("You are the light of the world"), take effect June 1. For the first time, all Catholic priests and members of religious orders are required to report any suspicion of abuse or cover-up to their superior and, if need be, directly to the Vatican. Municipal archbishops are newly empowered to investigate priests and bishops in their jurisdiction, with Vatican help.

By June 2020, all Catholic diocese in the world must establish clear and accessible ways to report sexual abuse allegations, and they are encouraged to include lay experts in abuse investigations. Pope Francis wrote in the introduction that the new laws are necessary so the church will "continue to learn from the bitter lessons of the past, looking with hope toward the future." So that sexual abuse can "never happen again," he added, "a continuous and profound conversion of hearts is needed, attested by concrete and effective actions that involve everyone in the church."

The rules also raise the age of adulthood for purposes of abuse to 18, from 16, and require all priests and bishops to follow civil reporting laws in their countries or local jurisdictions. Church officials can't order people who report abuse to remain quiet, and there are new whistleblower protections.

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"The new apostolic letter is known to have been the subject of intense debate among Vatican officials in recent months, some of whom were expressing concern about the breadth of its scope in mandating reporting of abuse and cover-up," National Catholic Reporter says. This is Francis' second decree on sexual abuse since a Vatican summit on sexual abuse in February. His earlier efforts mostly withered amid opposition. Read more about the rules at National Catholic Reporter.