Sex Crimes and the Vatican

Sex Crimes and the Vatican by BBC Panorama investigates the allegations against the Catholic Church for covering up sex crimes. The film examines a secret document enforced by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger two decades before he became Pope Benedict XVI which addressed how the Church should deal with accusations of sexual solicitation within the confines of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

This document, entitled Crimen Sollicitationis – which in Latin means the crime of solicitation – provides guidelines on handling allegations of bestiality, homosexual acts, or conduct of sexual nature with preadolescent children. The film looks at how the Church handled accusations of sexual misconduct by priests and bishops.

The documentary alleges that the Catholic Church tried to cover up the scandalous crimes and that the instruction came from one of the highest authorities in the Vatican, a cardinal who was eventually ordained as the Pope.