The procedures, which come into force on June 1, say church leaders must investigate abuse and cover-ups and must not interfere with secular inquiries.
ROME — Pope Francis introduced universal procedures on Thursday for reporting and investigating clerical sex abuse, an issue that has haunted his papacy and devastated the Roman Catholic Church he has sought to remake.
The new norms, delivered in a Motu Proprio, or law decreed by the pope himself, come into force on June 1 and are experimental, in that they will be re-evaluated after a three-year trial period.
