Bishops could be punished for safeguarding failures, says Vatican

Bishops could be punished for safeguarding failures, says Vatican

THE TABLET

8 February 2012

The Holy See's senior official responsible for dealing with cases of clerical abuse said today that bishops who fail to follow child protection guidelines may be punishable under canon law.

Mgr Charles Scicluna, Promoter of Justice at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith told a press conference on Wednesday that it is a crime in canon law to "show malicious or fraudulent negligence in the exercise of one's duty".
"I am not saying we should start punishing everybody for any negligence in carrying out their duty but what I want to say that this is not acceptable. It is not acceptable that when there are set standards people do not follow them," said Mgr Scicluna.