DDF publishes 4 Vatican documents from 1962-2004 on addressing sexual abuse accusations

February 10, 2026

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announced the online publication, “for study purposes,” of four documents related to the Church’s discipline at the time of addressing sexual abuse.

The dicastery published, in Latin, Crimen sollicationis, the 1962 instruction of the Holy Office on addressing accusations of solicitation in the confessional. The document had previously been published in English on the Vatican website.

The dicastery also published, in Latin, Pope St. John Paul II’s 2001 norms on addressing serious canonical crimes against the sacraments. The Vatican had previously published, in various languages, Pope St. John Paul II’s apostolic letter Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela, by which he promulgated the norms, and an English-language overview of the 2001 norms, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The 2001 norms were superseded by 2010 norms approved by Pope Benedict XVI and 2021 norms approved by Pope Francis.

Finally, the dicastery published, in Italian, two rescripts approved by Pope St. John Paul II.

In a redacted 2002 rescript, Pope St. John Paul II allowed the Congregation, on a case-by-case basis, to lift the ten-year statute of limitations in the 2001 norms.

In a 2004 rescript, Pope St. John Paul II established that cardinals, bishops, and religious superiors accused of serious canonical crimes against the sacraments would be judged by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

 

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Further information:

• Publication of Disciplinary Section documents for study purposes (Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, 2/9/26)