Roman Rota condemns publishing lists of clergy accused of abuse without trial

The Tribunal of the Roman Rota, one of the Vatican's courts, has condemned the practice of circulating lists of clergy and religious described as "credibly accused" of sexually abusing minors when those named have never faced a judicial process. The decision was issued in 2025 and published in English recently.

The ruling went against a religious institute that had published one such list. It came in a canonical suit brought by a former member of the institute, now a married layman. He said that putting his name on the list, without giving him any chance to defend himself, had caused him enormous harm.

Context: transparency and legal safeguards

The Dicastery for Legislative Texts, the Vatican office that interprets Church law, had already issued decisions questioning whether such publications are legitimate under canon law. The Rota's ruling reinforces that line and expressly condemns the circulation of lists naming people who have been labeled "credibly accused" but have not been tried.

The case and the ruling

The case began with an action brought by a former member of the religious institute. The man, who no longer belongs to the institute and is now a married layman, told the tribunal that publishing his name without a prior procedure or any chance to reply had caused him serious harm.

He said being included on the list had caused him enormous harm, since he was publicly identified as "credibly accused" without an opportunity to defend himself or give his account of events. The Rota ruled in his favor and condemned the institute's conduct for violating his canonical rights.

Implications of the ruling

The Rota found that publishing such lists breaches the guarantees canon law gives to people who are named publicly, even when the lists are drawn up to provide transparency about abuse allegations.

The ruling says that placing a name on a public list of those "credibly accused" amounts to a pronouncement that seriously damages the person's reputation and honor. That is especially so when the list is published without the accused having been heard in a formal process or able to present a defense.

The decision reinforces the requirement that any disciplinary action, or any public release of accusations, be preceded by a canonical procedure that guarantees the right to a defense, including in matters as sensitive as the sexual abuse of minors.