April 14, 2010. Meanwhile, in order to offer clarity, the Vatican has published a “guide” on how the Church handles of paedophile cases. The guide is based on a document prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith during the Joseph Ratzinger years.
The internal document makes it clear, that dioceses are in charge of reporting sex abuse cases to police.
It also spells out that in cases where the evidence is overwhelming, the pope can dismiss guilty priests from clerical state. The document also states the pope can dismiss accused priests from their obligations, if they submit their request to the pope.
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