Vatican Issues New Sex Abuse Rules

The Vatican has released new rules for dealing with sexual abuse from priests, mandating a set of “more rapid procedures” to expedite the “most urgent” cases, and extending the statute of limitations from 10 years beyond the victim's 18th birthday to 20 years. It also formally outlawed child pornography and sexually abusing the mentally ill, equating the latter with child abuse. It also names another “grave crime” to be reported to the Vatican in much the same way: Trying to ordain a woman.

The Vatican’s sex crime prosecutor hastened to add that the church wasn’t trying to equate sexual abuse and ordaining a woman. “They are grave, but on different levels,” he said, according to the BBC.