Canon gets it wrong on church’s updated rules

CANON Stephen Neill is wrong to suggest the Vatican has equated women’s ordination with paedophilia (Letters, July 20).

The document ‘Normae de Gravioribus Delictis’ has updated the church’s response to sacramental and moral offences – in particular the way the church deals with priests guilty of paedophilia, and is a much needed reform.

Sacramental offences, which Canon Neill lists such as female ordination, are not viewed by the Vatican to be of a similar nature or gravity as the abuse of children – as Mgr Charles Scicluna, Vatican’s prosecutor for paedophilia, has stated.