There is this document which was distributed to priests in 1962 which has brought many controversies. the document is entitled Crimen sollicitationis (Latin: the crime of soliciting).1962 document ("Instruction") of the Holy Office (which is now called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) codifying procedures to be followed in cases of priests or bishops of the Catholic Church accused of having used the sacrament of Penance to make sexual advances to penitents. we all know this is a crime even for those who are not under a vow of chastity but this is a priest we are talking about. this document proves at least 2 things, 1)abuse cases are real in the catholic church 2) they tried to hide it. This alone is already very painful to hear because they could be doing it right now. there was this case in Cebu in which the priest was "playing" with a young girl's bra strap. it went on news for, at most,2 weeks. then it just dissipated. let us read from the document on page 4 (this is a 39 page document all about the topic)
This means that all the proceedings and related documents cannot be disclosed or shown. so where do these documents go? let us read on page 12:
"after the appeal being made, the judge must transmit an authentic copy or the original itself of all the acts of the case to the Holy Office, as quickly as it can be done, adding information as necessary or as he had judged to be opportune."
why send it to the Vatican? to keep record of it not to protect the person but the church itself. Section 11 of Crimen sollicitationis outlines the required confidentiality of the investigation into accusations of the crime of solicitation. The document imposed absolute confidentiality on the trial's proceedings (explicitly excepting "what may happen to be lawfully published when this process is concluded and put into effect", the term, "published," meaning "publication of the evidence" in Canon Law, or the conclusion of the "discovery phase" in a civil trial, before the verdict is rendered), both during its conduct and after any concluding verdict had been put into effect.
"The oath of keeping the secret must be given also by the accusers or those denouncing (the priest) and the witness."
This means that all the proceedings and related documents cannot be disclosed or shown. so where do these documents go? let us read on page 12:
"after the appeal being made, the judge must transmit an authentic copy or the original itself of all the acts of the case to the Holy Office, as quickly as it can be done, adding information as necessary or as he had judged to be opportune."
why send it to the Vatican? to keep record of it not to protect the person but the church itself. Section 11 of Crimen sollicitationis outlines the required confidentiality of the investigation into accusations of the crime of solicitation. The document imposed absolute confidentiality on the trial's proceedings (explicitly excepting "what may happen to be lawfully published when this process is concluded and put into effect", the term, "published," meaning "publication of the evidence" in Canon Law, or the conclusion of the "discovery phase" in a civil trial, before the verdict is rendered), both during its conduct and after any concluding verdict had been put into effect.
this is an excerpt of the oath they must take:
"I do promise, vow and swear that I will maintain inviolate secrecy about each and every thing brought to my knowledge in the performance of my aforesaid function, excepting only what may happen to be lawfully published when this process is concluded and put into effect … and that I will never directly or indirectly, by gesture, word, writing or in any other way, and under any pretext, even that of a greater good or of a highly urgent and serious reason, do anything against this fidelity to secrecy, unless special permission or dispensation is expressly granted to me by the Supreme Pontiff."
They really bind you right?
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