http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Crimen_sollicitationis

Crimen sollicitationis was a 1962 decree issued by the Vatican that laid out the procedures for dealing with Roman Catholic priests who solicit sex from parish congregants during confession. It was also used as the instruction manual for investigating child sexual abuse by priests.

This updated a similar decree issued in 1922, see below.

The 1922 and 1962 documents are identical in content. The 1962 document however contains an appendix which provides the formularies to be used for the various steps in the judicial process. Also, the 1922 document was sent only to diocesan bishops. The 1962 document was intended for use in cases involving diocesan priests as well as priests who were members of religious communities. [1]

Written in Latin, the Crimen was sent to every diocese around the world, where it was locked away from all eyes except for those priests who were commissioned with investigating accusations of sexual abuse by priests.

It is now an indisputable fact that the Catholic Church systematically covered up the rape of children across the globe, and knowingly, consciously put paedophiles in charge of more kids. Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, was at the heart of this policy for decades.

By 1962, it was becoming clear to the Vatican that a significant number of its priests were raping children. Rather than root it out, they issued a secret order called "Crimen Sollicitationis"' ordering bishops to swear the victims to secrecy and move the offending priest on to another parish. This of course meant they raped more children there, and on and on, in parish after parish. Yes, these were different times, but the Vatican knew then that what it was doing was terribly wrong: that's why it was done in the utmost secrecy. [2]

But, instead of using the Crimen to punish and dismiss priests, diocese investigators used it to silence the accusers. Section 11 of the Crimen required that all testimony given in such cases be sealed. Anyone caught discussing the testimony at these tribunals were to be excommunicated. This included the victims of the abuse and their parents, families and friends.

Although the Vatican stopped enforcing the Crimen in 2001, many abuse victims are still afraid of being excommunicated if they discuss their cases. During the last 20 years that the Crimen was enforced, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger -- now Pope Benedict XVI -- was the edict's lead enforcer.