Legally speaking, I suppose there is a big difference.
Mistakes made in Catholic clergy sex abuse probes: Minnesota archbishop
Reuters ^ | Thu Oct 24, 2013 8:38pm EDT | David Bailey
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3083337/posts
Legally speaking is irrelevant.
If the Catholic church is going to take the moral high ground and tell others how to live and set itself up as some kind of example of moral living, it is more than relevant morally.
This business of blowing off sin in the lives of the priests with no more than a *everyone is perfect, the church is filled with sinners* is absolutely reprehensible.