ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — Pope Francis has enacted a new law that requires all Catholic priests and nuns around the world to report any sexual abuse they see by the clergy — and they must also report any cover-ups of abuse claims by Church officials.
"Pope Francis is mandating every diocese must establish an office to deal with abuse and to develop a way for people to easily and confidentially report it," said CBS News Correspondent Seth Doan in Italy. "It lays out clear procedures, time frames and responsibilities and puts the onus on the Vatican to respond quickly. The church investigations put the Archbishop in charge, but remember former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick held that office and was dismissed from the priesthood for sexual misconduct. So now there are new guidelines to bypass that office if necessary."
Doan said critics are already sensing holes in the law.
"There are loopholes for instance — information, allegations, or reports of abuse made in the confessional are still protected," said Doan. "It also does not lay out the punishments. It just lays out the procedures and the policies, which are mandatory, but it does not say what the punishments are. This is also being criticized here early on for still keeping the entire investigation within the church."
Plus, the new directive does not include lay people in the process.
"Notably, it does not mandate lay involvement — that is Catholics outside of the church hierarchy," said Doan. "But it does give each individual diocese the ability to include lay people if they are so interested."
"We don't need new policies and panels and procedures and protocols," said David Clohessy, the local director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "We need action, we need people who endanger kids to get fired and demoted and defrocked and disciplined and denounced. That's what's going to make a difference."
"Where it falls short — in one simple way — is implementation," Clohessy told CBS Radio News. "For decades, literally for decades, when this crisis reaches a fever pitch, church officials convene a meeting, they pass a new policy, they make new promises and then it's back to business as usual. This supposedly new policy is just a repitition of that failed pattern."
So what does SNAP want to see?
"We want to see Catholic officials join us in looking for better child safety laws in the secular realm instead of fighting against those laws," said Clohessy.
In responding to this new mandate, St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson said he will strengthen the process for reporting abuse within the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the state of Missouri and will use all available resources including outside investigators to respond to abuse allegations.
"The protection of the innocent and the vulnerable in the Archdiocese of St. Louis is of the utmost importance," said Archbishop Carlson. "The new processes that we put in place will work to prevent all abuse and will ensure transparency and accountability at all levels in responding to reports of abuse."
CBS News Correspondent Seth Doan said Pope Francis is looking to make sweeping corrections. And while there is frustration from victims that the Church has not moved fast enough, Doan said Vatican officials tell him it all needs to be put into perspective.
"This is warp speed for the Catholic Church in many ways," said Doan. "When we spoke with Hans Zollner, one of the organizers of that Vatican Sexual Abuse Summit back in February, we asked him where are the concrete steps? He said hold on, moving the Catholic Church is like moving a giant ship and these things take time."
The new law will take effect June first for an initial three years.