To: Members of the U.S. Catholic Hierarchy
From: The Office of Justice for Priests and Deacons
January 30, 2003
Enclosed you will find a canonical commentary on the Essential Norms for
Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors
By Priests and Deacons.
The commentary was prepared by a group of international canonists from the
Oriental and Latin Churches. These canonists have received their degrees from
different Pontifical Faculties of Canon Law in the United States, Canada,
and Rome. They are well informed on both the administrative and penal processes
in these matters.
The commentary is concerned about the promotion of justice, the protection of
the individual's rights (both accuser and accused) and the procedures for a
canonical trial. We trust that you will find the commentary on canonical
procedure and the protection of the rights of all parties to be a
valuable source document in the implementation of justice in your individual
dioceses. Many hours of experience have been put into its preparation and we
hope it will be of assistance to you as you provide justice in these
serious matters.
If you have any questions on the commentary, please feel free to contact us and
we will be happy to help.
You may wish to visit our web site:
www.justiceforpriests.org
Peace and Joy