A newly revealed 1997 letter from the Vatican warned Ireland's Catholic bishops not to report all suspected child-abuse cases to police...
...The letter undermines persistent Vatican claims, particularly when seeking to defend itself in U.S. lawsuits, that the church in Rome never instructed local bishops to withhold evidence or suspicion of crimes from police.
A letter attempting to make such allegations internal church matters only is pretty much the opposite of what the Church has been saying in lawsuits throughout the world, particularly in the U.S. on the matter.
In the Church's defense, "ass-covering" is not necessarily in the 10-commandments if you read them like Scalia reads the Constitution.