The new bill will make it make it mandatory for priests to report suspected child abuse admitted in confidence.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Priests
Displaying all articles
Pope Francis is trying to address gaps in the regulatory processes of the Catholic Church. But clergy can still decide whether, and to what degree, to share information.
Pope Francis has discouraged homosexual men from entering priesthood. Prior to the 12th century, even celebrated priests could write about same-sex desires and the church paid little attention.
Pope Francis has been accused of a cover-up in the sex abuse scandal involving Theodore McCarrick, a former archbishop. Experts explain why it's hard for the Catholic Church to hold clergy accountable.
Historical accounts of Martin Luther skew or ignore debates about religion and make him hardly recognizable as a pastor and preacher. But his theology changed Europe.
Reporting child sexual abuse to police, and any subsequent investigation or trial, is a time of profound instability for victims and their families.
The hierarchy of the Catholic Church requires nearly absolute obedience. This makes it difficult to speak up against superiors. And by the same token, superiors too can protect offending priests.
Top contributors
-
Scientia Fellow, Associate Professor of Criminology, UNSW
-
Mathew Schmalz is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
-
Lecturer, School of Law, Western Sydney University
-
Associate Professor, Liberal Arts College, Concordia University
-
Professor of History and Gender Studies, Boise State University
-
Associate Professor of Law, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
