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XV Ordinary Plenary Assembly
Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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The XV ordinary Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors took place in Rome and online from April 19-22, 2021.
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Extension of terms and welcoming a new member
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The meeting opened with appreciation of the Holy Father’s extension of members terms of office for another year and a warm welcome for Mr. Juan Carlos Cruz, taking part in his first meeting since his appointment by Pope Francis on March 24th.
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Greeting the Commission members, Mr. Cruz said he hoped his presence and contribution will bring renewed impulse to the Churches’ commitment to hearing, welcoming, assisting and accompanying the children, men and women who have been abused and in creating a space for them in the life of the Church.
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The first quarter of 2021 has provided a series of opportunities for the Commission to work with local churches and safeguarding partners around the world in promoting local responsibility for the protection of children and vulnerable adults in fulfillment of the Commission’s mandate from the Holy Father’s Chirograph of 2014.
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Members were active in a number of educational initiatives, academic projects, publications and sponsored events. These included:
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Outstanding initiatives for the remainder of the year include:
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- In June, an academic seminar organised by the Working with Survivors Group on the theme the “Enculturation of Outreach and Healing” for people who have been abused, their families and communities. Broken down into three sessions, the seminar will explore the clinical, pastoral and juridical implications of listening to victims and survivors in different cultural contexts, informed by the experiences of victims and survivors drawn from local Survivor Advisory Panels (SAPs).
- A September Conference in Warsaw, Poland, for Church Leadership in Central and Eastern Europe, titled “Our Common Mission of safeguarding God’s Children” organised by the Education and Formation Working Group in partnership with the Polish Bishops Conference. Over four days Commission members will meet and dialogue with bishops, religious and lay leaders from Latin and Eastern Rite churches in the region to understand the needs and challenges they face in the promotion of strategies to prevent and heal those wounded by clerical child sexual abuse.
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Looking ahead: a critical juncture for Safeguarding and the Church
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The Plenary Assembly also addressed the realities, challenges, and critical directions for the Commission, Safeguarding, and the Church in light of the many developments in the area since the Commission’s establishment in 2014.
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Members did so through a series of constructive meetings with offices of the Roman Curia. The Commission members would like to thank the Prefects, officials and staff at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Dicasteries for Laity, Family and Life and Integral Human Development, the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.
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Members also thank the International Union of Superiors General and the Union of Superiors General, for their continued cooperation and dedication to the wellbeing of all children and vulnerable people.
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Also during the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Commission has set a goal to boost its online presence and visibility and to engage with safeguarding partners committed to promoting child dignity online and contrasting the growing scourge of child online exploitation.
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The new www.tutelaminorum.org website and digital platform (@TutelaMinorum) was launched in English in February 2021. Analytics from traffic to the site and feedback from the Tutela Minorum Safeguarding Community help identify strengths and weaknesses in global safeguarding efforts. The platform has so far registered highest user traffic and interaction in the Outreach and Safeguarding resource section with peaks in traffic for spiritual and pastoral assistance to victims and survivors of abuse. The roll out in Spanish and Italian is scheduled for late Spring 2021.
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The XV ordinary plenary assembly of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors concluded an expression of profound appreciation for the work and dedication of the outgoing Secretary Mons. Robert Oliver, who returns to the United States later this year after a decade of service to the Church in the Holy See.
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Vos Estis: Two Years Later, a Conversation with Canonists
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Vos estis lux mundi was promulgated in May 2019 to address the issue of bishops' accountability for clergy sexual abuse. It was approved "ad experimentum" for three years. Two years in, how is it going?
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The ISC Launches its 2021 conference On Prevention post Pandemic
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In light of what has happened globally, this conference aims at creating the space for collaborative professional development and fruitful sharing about how to deal with the consequences the pandemic has had on safeguarding children, young people, and people at risk.
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Telefono Azzurro Reflects Upon the International Day of Missing Children
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On Tuesday, May 25, on the occasion of the International Missing Children's Day, Telefono Azzurro and the Special Commissioner of the Government for Missing Persons will organize a meeting on the theme of missing children in Italy, Europe and the world.
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Child abuse erases childhood, says Pope in meeting with 'Meter Association'
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Meter Association founded by Italian priest don Fortunato di Noto works tirelessly to detect, track and report online child abuse.
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Pope: child abuse is a kind of ＂psychological murder＂
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Pope Francis on Saturday urged families, educational and public institutions to tackle with renewed determination the scourge of child abuse, paedophilia and child pornography, describing them as "psychological murder".
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The Centre for Child Protection becomes an Institute
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The Pontifical Gregorian University’s Centre for Child Protection takes on a new guise and institutional framework, intensifying its commitment to the work of protecting minors and vulnerable people from sexual abuse.
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Cardinal Parolin: reaffirmS the dignity of Our Smallest ones
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The Vatican Secretary of State sent a message during the meeting promoted by our Safeguarding Partner Telefono Azzurro that focused on the theme "Dignity of children and adolescents at the time of Covid". The Cardinal stressed the need for "a more incisive approach in the education of our younger generations."
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May 5: Fighting Child Abuse on and offline
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"Governments, the non-profit sector, institutions, academia and civil society should join efforts and commit to protecting the dignity of children and adolescents worldwide."
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ACSL Says Goodbye to outgoing CEO Sheree Limbrick and welcomes Dr. Ursula Stephens as new CEO
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Ms. Sheree Limbrick: "Finally, to the survivors and advocates who I have met, who have trusted me with their stories, who have courageously and quietly helped CPSL/ACSL to stay true to our purpose and maintain clear line of sight to those most horrendously abused within our Church, I say thank you for your courage, trust, determination and resilience."
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Canada's St. Paul's University hosts April Conference on ＂A Wounded Church＂
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"The Centre for Safeguarding Minors and Vulnerable Persons at Saint Paul University in Ottawa is organizing a three-day conference in which international witnesses and experts who have lived through this crisis will share their experiences and findings. This is a unique opportunity offered to listen, understand and explore new paths of reconstruction and hope."
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