On thursday, Pope Francis called for a new law within the Church requiring all Catholic priests and nuns to report clergy sexual abuse and cover-ups, in a new effort to hold the Catholic hierarchy accountable for the church’s long and documented history of assault.
The decree provides whistleblower protections for anyone making a report and requires systems to be put in place to allow for clergy workers to make reports confidentially.
While abusive victims and advocates agree this new law is a step forward, many have taken issue with the lack of requirement for these crimes to be reported to the police.