Worcester Bishop Robert McManus, Massachusetts, issued a March 24 decree
against digital solicitation, grooming, pornography, and the sharing of
such material on social media.
The decree applies to priests and single or widowed deacons and reminds them to uphold chastity and the vow of celibacy.
McManus
wants a legal framework to punish the possession of an account on apps
designed to facilitate the violation of the sixth commandment with an
adult. His decree is similar to one issued in May 2022 in Springfield
Diocese, Illinois.