Ten years after its creation, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has published a report compiled by a dedicated study group that has carried out extensive research on five continents. The report identifies advances in best practices as well as next steps, calls for greater transparency in data collection, and addresses imbalances in local churches regarding reporting structures and the availability of support services for the victims.
Vatican News
“I want a report prepared for me each year on the Church’s efforts to protect minors and vulnerable adults. This may be difficult at first, but I urge you to start where it matters: providing a credible account of what is currently happening. “It is being done and what changes are needed so that the competent authorities can take action.”
This was stated by Pope Francis in his speech to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors at the end of its plenary session in April 2022. Responding to this request, the Commission – created by the Pope in 2014 to propose the most appropriate initiatives to prevent abuse within the Church – has responded to the Pope’s call and today, October 29, published its first annual report on the situation of the Church. security policies and procedures.
The approximately 50-page report is divided into four volumes and is based on a large amount of data collected on different continents, as well as from various religious institutions, synods and even the Roman Curia, which have been asked to review their procedures and Greater transparency has been encouraged.
Pain and treatment of victims.
This document was prepared by a working group led by Maud di Boer-Buccio, a member of the Commission with extensive experience in child protection. On its cover there is a baobab tree. It symbolizes the “resilience” shown by thousands of victims as they speak out and try to make the church a safer place, while also working to regain the trust lost due to these crimes. All of the Commission’s work and reports focus on the victims themselves, their suffering and their treatment.
risk and progress
The report aims to promote the Church’s commitment to providing a “rigorous” response to the abuse crisis focused on human rights and victims, in line with recent reforms to Book VI of the Ecclesiastical Canons, which condemns ill-treatment as a violation of human rights. human dignity. The document highlights both risks and progress in the Church’s efforts to protect children, pooling resources and compiling best practices to share across the universal Church. It serves as a tool for the Commission to systematically report its findings and recommendations to the Pope, victims, local Churches and the People of God.
greater access to information
Among the needs identified, the report emphasizes the need for better access to information to avoid additional trauma for victims. “Measures should be explored that provide any individual with the right of access to any information relating to them,” the document says, “while respecting data protection laws and requirements.” It also “underlines the need for consolidation and clarity around the jurisdiction exercised by the Roman Pontifical Office to ensure the efficient, timely and rigorous management of cases of abuse referred to the Holy See.” It also suggests simplifying procedures “where appropriate” for the dismissal or removal of people in positions of responsibility. The report calls for further development of the Church’s teaching on safety and a study of compensation and injury policies to promote a rigorous approach to compensation. Additionally, it fosters educational opportunities and extensive resources for aspiring security professionals.
Analysis of local churches
The second section of the annual report focuses on local churches and presents an analysis of various church institutions. The Commission recognizes the importance of partnering with local church leaders in the responsibility of implementing preventive and responsive policies. It also promises a “standardized data exchange with local bishops and superiors of the Congregation,” stating that security policies and procedures can be reviewed by bishops through the ad limina process or by the Episcopal Conference or one of the regional groups of the Commission Happens on special. order.
The Commission reviews 15 to 20 local congregations each year, with the goal of examining the entire congregation over the course of 5 to 6 annual reports. Each report also includes an analysis of selected religious institutions. This year’s bishops’ conferences include Mexico, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Belgium and Cameroon. Conferences visited ad limina during this period include Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Botswana, e-Swatini, Togo and Burundi. The religious institutes included in the report are the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Missionaries of the Consolata (female) and the Congregation for the Discourses of the Holy Spirit (male).
Lack of structures and services.
In its analysis of local churches, the Commission noted that “some church institutions and church officials demonstrate a clear commitment to safeguarding, while others are only beginning to take responsibility for the church’s response to abuse.” In some cases, the Commission finds a worrying lack of reporting structures and support services for victims and survivors required by the “motu proprio vos estis lux mundi”.
imbalance in the regions
Data collected in continental regions reveals some imbalances. While parts of the Americas, Europe and Oceania benefit from “substantial resources available for security”, many areas of Central and South America, Africa and Asia have “insufficient dedicated resources”. The Pontifical Commission called for “strengthening solidarity between episcopal conferences”, “mobilizing resources for a universal standard on security”, “creating information and assistance centers for victims/survivors”, “developing a true culture of security”, believe.
roman pontificate
The third section focuses on the Roman Curia, which, as a “network of networks,” could serve as a hub for sharing security-related best practices with other local Churches. “The Church, in carrying out its mission to promote human rights in a broad sense within society, involves a variety of populations to whom it must guarantee appropriate standards of protection,” the report says.
Transparency and information collection.
The Pontifical Body strives to collect reliable information to foster a shared perspective and greater transparency in the Curia’s procedures and jurisprudence related to cases of abuse. The report noted that the disciplinary section of the Department for the Doctrine of the Faith has publicly shared limited statistical information about its activities and called for greater access to information. Other tasks include “communicating the safeguarding responsibilities of different departments”, “promoting shared standards across the Roman Curia” and “incorporating victim-centred and trauma-informed approaches into departmental work”.
focus on caritas
The annual report also presents case studies on the Caritas organizations: Caritas Internationalis at the ecumenical level, Caritas Oceania at the regional level, Caritas Chile at the national level and Caritas Nairobi at the diocesan level. The report recognized the “great complexity” of Caritas’ mission and recent developments in security, while noting “significant variation in security practices between different institutions”, a cause of concern for the Commission.
commemorative initiative
The report also highlights the Remembrance Initiative, which for the past ten years has raised funds from bishops’ conferences and religious congregations to help churches with limited resources. The Remembrance Initiative aims to develop a network of information and support centres, local training competencies and security professionals in the Global South. In 2023, the Commission received an initial annual grant of 500,000 euros from the Italian Episcopal Conference; 35,000 euros from religious associations; and a first annual grant of $100,000 from the PayPal Foundation ($300,000 total with a three-year commitment). In addition, the Spanish Episcopal Conference committed to supporting the projects selected by the Commission, contributing $300,000 per year (a total of $900,000 over three years).
