In an attempt to prove that the Vatican is heeding criticism of its handling of paedophile priests, the Holy See today issued detailed instructions to all its bishops on how to report abuse to the police.The short set of rules, published online in English, is an attempt to satisfy critics who have accused the Catholic church of covering up some of the dozens of abuse cases coming to light in the US and Europe.
"Civil law concerning reporting of crimes to the appropriate authorities should always be followed," the document states.
Francis X Rocca, Vatican correspondent for Religion News Service, said: "This is a new and notable public emphasis on the need to follow local laws."
The Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano, described the rules as part of a "transparency drive" adopted by the Vatican. The document, it added, was based on the Motu Proprio, the 2001 Vatican ruling which ordered bishops to forward abuse cases to Rome.
But one Vatican expert said the 2001 document gave no specific instructions on reporting to the police. "There is no similar sentence in the Motu Proprio," said John Allen, senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. "The Vatican may say these guidelines make explicit what was always understood, but the truth is that for years abuse was not reported to the police."
In Ireland, bishops reportedly understood the 2001 rules to mean they should not tell police about abuse.
Since the start of the latest wave of abuse and cover-up allegations, some of which have questioned the role of Benedict XVI in tackling abuse before he became pope, officials have begun to admit the need for better co-operation with local police.
Benedict himself, in a letter to Irish Catholics in March, instructed Irish bishops to apply canon law and "continue to co-operate with the civil authorities in their area of competence".
But the guidelines mark the Vatican's first public declaration that all its bishops should contact the police when they learn of allegations of abuse.
A Vatican spokesman, Father Ciro Benedettini, said the rules had been internal policy at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 2003. But when asked if bishops knew of this internal policy, he declined to comment.
The newly published guidelines also outline the different ways that abusive priests can be disciplined by the church's internal courts. In "very grave cases", the pope may issue a decree dismissing a priest from the clerical state.
The guidelines were posted on the Vatican's new blog, which has been set up together with a Twitter feed and a YouTube pageto improve communications.
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