Pope Francis updates sex abuse decree and makes it permanent

On Saturday, Pope Francis updated the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse decree, which was originally put forth in 2019 to stop abuse caused by church leaders. The biggest change is that lay leaders as well as senior clergy can now be held responsible under the decree. While extending sexual abuse protection to adult victims who lack mental capacity and can be taken advantage of, the decree also adds new protections for those who report the abuse, reported the Catholic News Agency. The 2019 version of the decree instructed dioceses to create...