Code of Canon Law books for the Latin and Eastern Catholic churches are pictured in Rome at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in this file photo. Photo: CNS Revised canon law on crimes, punishments published
A series of laws and procedures promulgated by now-retired Pope Benedict XVI and, especially, by Pope Francis to protect children, promote the investigation of allegations of clerical sexual abuse and punish offenders are included in a heavily revised section of the Code of Canon Law.
The revision of “Book VI: Penal Sanctions in the Church,” one of seven books that make up the code for the Latin rite of the Catholic Church, was promulgated June 1 and will go into effect December 8, Pope Francis wrote.
Rewriting 63 of the book’s 89 canons, the revision addresses a host of issues that have come up in the life of the Church since St John Paul II promulgated the code in 1983.
The descriptions of crimes of sexual abuse, including images of child abuse, are more explicit, and the required actions of a bishop or superior of a religious order in handling allegations are more stringent.
The revised canons also include new references to the attempted ordination of a woman and to a variety of financial crimes; all new canons rely on language from laws promulgated separately over the past 20 years.
US recognises Vatican’s steps to prevent fraud
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has listed Vatican City State among the countries that meet its international standards for customer due diligence.
With the IRS approval of the Holy See and Vatican City State’s “know-your-customer rules”, the tax body recognises the steps put in place by the Vatican to verify customers’ identities and risk profiles.
These procedures are a critical part of enforcing anti-money laundering rules and preventing fraud.
Vatican News highlighted the addition of the Holy See to the IRS’ list on June 2 as the Vatican awaits the publication of the Moneyval report on its financial transparency and the effectiveness of the Vatican judicial system.
The IRS cites recent changes in the Vatican’s criminal code, such as its money-laundering regulations passed after Vatican police searched the offices of the Vatican financial authority and Secretariat of State’s office on October 1, 2019, in connection with the Secretariat’s investment in a luxury property in London.
It also referred to changes to a Vatican law on transparency, supervision, and financial intelligence made on October 10, 2020.
Pope dedicates June prayers for soon-to-be newlyweds
While uncertainty in the world may deter young couples from taking the next big step in their relationships, the vocational call to marriage is a risk worth taking, Pope Francis said.
Marriage “is a challenging journey, at times difficult, sometimes even confrontational, but it is worth the risk”, the Pope said. “And in this lifelong journey, the husband and wife are not alone: Jesus accompanies them.”
In a video message released by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network June 1, the Pope offered his prayer intention for the month of June, which he dedicated to “the beauty of marriage”.
Acknowledging the belief that young people “do not want to get married, especially in these difficult times”, the Pope said that marriage and sharing one’s life “is a beautiful thing”.
“Marriage is not just a ‘social’ act,” he said. “It is a vocation that is born from the heart, it is a conscious lifelong decision that requires a specific preparation. Please, never forget! God has a dream for us – love – and he asks us to make it our own.”