“The reforms are long overdue but symbolize an important step in the right direction,” said SNAP, the victims advocacy group. The new laws were issued Tuesday, Francis’ 83rd birthday, as he struggles to respond to the global explosion of the abuse scandal, his own missteps and demands for greater transparency and accountability from victims, law enforcement and ordinary Catholics alike. The reform is a response to the Vatican’s increasing awareness of the prolific spread of online child porn that has frequently implicated even high-ranking churchmen. Francis also raised from 14 to 18 the cutoff age below which the Vatican considers pornographic images to be child pornography.