With this statement, the Vatican announced that it will prosecute a priest for alleged abuses he committed when he was an altar boy and a minor.
The events took place in the Vatican's St. Pius X minor seminary prior to 2012, when the now-priest and the victim were both between 13 and 17 years old.
The alleged abuses had been discovered with anonymous letters, but the internal investigations did not yield results.
They were brought to light in a book by Italian Gianluigi Nuzzi, published in 2017. After this, the Vatican opened a formal investigation, which confirmed the abuse.
The law prevented proceeding, since the victim had not reported the alleged abuse, but the pope expressly authorized initiating the process.
The priest in charge of the seminary at that time will also be prosecuted for possible cover-up.
Young people considering to become future ordained priests reside in the minor seminary. Meanwhile, they also serve as altar boys in St. Peter's Basilica. At the Vatican, they receive spiritual and theological training, while studying in schools in Rome.
