Vatican’s Highest Appeals Court Criticizes Publishing Lists of ‘Credibly Accused’ Clerics

The legitimacy and legality of ‘credibly accused’ lists

A recently published decision by the Roman Rota upheld a complaint of defamation against a religious order, brought by a former member over his inclusion on a list of “credibly accused” clergy.Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome, home of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. Public Domain.The decision, news of which first broke last year, was scathing in its verdict on the widespread practice in North American dioceses and religious orders of maintainin…

Vatican’s Highest Appeals Court Criticizes Publishing Lists of ‘Credibly Accused’ Clerics

The criticism was made in a judicial decision on defamation by the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, roughly the equivalent of the Church’s Supreme Court.

Vatican’s highest appeals court criticizes publishing lists of ‘credibly accused’ clerics – BishopAccountability.org

The criticism was made in a judicial decision on defamation by the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, roughly the equivalent of the Church’s Supreme Court. The Catholic Church’s highest appeals court has strongly condemned the practice of publishing online lists of priests “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of minors in a judicial decision published in a law journal last month. The June 2025 decision — on an action for defamation — was made available i…

Vatican court criticizes publishing lists of ‘credibly accused’ clerics

The Roman Rota, the Catholic Church’s highest appeals court, has strongly condemned the practice of publishing online lists of priests “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of minors in a judicial decision published in a law journal last month.