Dont quite know what to make of this - Vatican Lawyer Says Bishops Should Not Reveal Abuse Claims. Of course, I have no doubt that the NYTimes just picked out those portions most likely to be sensational and there must be more to the journal article written by Rev. Ghirlanda than meets the eye. For instance:

In the article, Father Ghirlanda also wrote that a priest who is reassigned to a new parish after being treated because of a history of sexual abuse should not have his "good reputation" ruined by having his background revealed to the new parish. It would be better simply not to place the priest in a new parish if the bishop lacks confidence about the priest, Father Ghirlanda said.
...
"From a canonical point of view, the bishop or religious superior is neither morally nor legally responsible for a criminal act committed by one of his clerics."

However, he wrote, if a bishop knew of accusations and failed to investigate, or if he failed to remove a known abuser from the ministry, then under canon law he would have some legal and moral responsibility.