Facing a reignited crisis of credibility over child sexual abuse, the Roman Catholic bishops of the United States came to a meeting in Baltimore on Monday prepared to show that they could hold themselves accountable. But in a last-minute surprise, the Vatican instructed the bishops to delay voting on a package of corrective measures until next year, when Pope Francis plans to hold a summit in Rome on the sexual abuse crisis for bishops from around the world.

Priest Sexual Abuse

Abuses in the Catholic Church have been well-documented in the media. However, systemic abuse has occurred for centuries. Old church documents repeatedly warned of priests or brothers abusing parishioners. Instead of being active in protecting the victims, the Church has a reputation of concealing the abuse and reassigning the clergy members. This isn’t just in Catholic dioceses but also in religious orders (i.e., Christian Brothers, Paulist Fathers, Franciscans, etc).
Usually, the abuse lasts for years. It can take a long time for a child victim of sexual abuse to be able to come forward and report the abuse. Because monsignors, bishops, brothers, nuns, along with priests hold positions coupling trust and faith, victims don’t always identify the abuse. Some abusers claim the inappropriate sexual contact is part of a ritual. Then the perpetrators threaten the victims into silence.

Vatican Priest Sexual Abuse Decree

Almost 400 American bishops gathered in Baltimore to set forth a plan to curb priest sexual abuse. However, within minutes of the first meeting, the Vatican told the council not to do anything.  Parishioners have been desperate for change and action, however now, they cannot do anything. This isn’t the first time the Vatican has told U.S. bishops to stand down. In 2002, the Vatican denounced the American zero-tolerance standard for abusive priests along with compiling a national review board of laypeople.