Cruz introduced the bill following the Vatican’s recent order for all bishops and clerics of the Catholic Church to report sex crimes to civil authorities.
The Vatican’s order, based on the new guideline, states that “civil law concerning reporting of crimes to the appropriate authorities should always be followed.”
“This is the first time the Vatican has made it clear that church officials must report abuses if mandated by law,” Cruz said.
He said that as a former family court judge, he was always frustrated by priests’ refusal to report allegations of sex abuses because they were prevented by Church rule.
“I hope this move by the Vatican signals an end to the decades of church secrecy regarding sexual abuse by the clergy,” said Cruz, who is also a former Supreme Court chief justice.
Cruz’s bill would require members of the clergy to report suspected child abuse.
The bill covers the archbishop, bishop, cleric, pastor, clergy, priest, deacon, minister, rector, or other similar functionary or employee of a church or other religious organization whose primary duties consist of teaching, spreading the faith, church governance, supervision of a religious order, or supervision or participation in religious ritual and worship.
