John Jay's report on Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in America
Victims of sexual abuse by priests calling for justice The cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests have done collateral damage to the church and exposed the clergy to public condemnation and mockery making millions of people to lose their faith in the Catholic Church and the rest of Christendom . Cases of have been confirmed in Canada , Ireland , the United States , the United Kingdom , Mexico , Belgium , France , and Germany , while cases have been reported throughout the world . Pope John Paul II declared in 2001 that "a sin against the Sixth Commandment of the Decalogue by a cleric with a minor under 18 years of age is to be considered a grave sin, or delictum gravius ." With the approval of the Vatican , the hierarchy of the church in the United States claimed to institute reforms to prevent future abuse including requiring background checks for Church employees and volunteers, while opposing extensions of the statutes of limitations in sex abuse cases. Addi...