U.S. Norms for Abuse Cases to Be Studied

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 30, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Officials of the U.S. bishops' conference and the Holy See will meet here to analyze the application of norms adopted in the wake of the clerical sex-abuse scandals.

Joaquín Navarro Valls, director of the Vatican press office, made the announcement Saturday.

"On January 31 and February 1, as expected, the Mixed Commission will meet in the Vatican to examine the application of the norms of cases of accusation of sexual abuse of minors," he said in a statement.

"The commission is made up of delegates of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and representatives of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia," he said.

The Vatican spokesman added: "The purpose of the commission is to study the application of the norms, approved on December 8, 2002, 'ad experimentum' during two years, and to evaluate the guidelines for the future, in the context of the universal law of the Church."

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