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PRESS STATEMENT
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Good morning and let me begin saying that I am pleased to be here, visiting Slovenia for the first time as a guest of the Bishops Conference and to be addressing them during their 113th Plenary Session which begins this evening with mass in the Cathedral of Ljubljana. I am Fr. Andrew Small, OMI and I am the Secretary for the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, an entity of the Roman Curia within the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican.
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The evil of the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people is not new. The scandal of sex abuse in the Church is also not new. However, building the resolve among Church leadership to stop such abuse, to expose cover ups in the Church and hold leaders accountable for their actions is relatively new in the Church and long overdue.
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Most recently, Pope Francis increased the importance and visibility of this vital work safeguarding in the Church by making the Pontifical Commission one of the core elements of his ministry as supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. By aligning our work of prevention alongside the discipline section of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith that holds priests and bishops accountable for committing acts of sexual abuse, the Holy Father is strengthening the Church’s oversight functions in this area. He is also inviting the entire Church at whatever level to prioritize this important work so as to reduce the risks of abuse and to eliminate the negligence and mishandling of abuse accusations by bishops and other administrators.
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The President of our Commission since its founding in 2014 is Cardinal Sean O’Malley OFM, Cap., a Franciscan and a Capuchin. And he has said repeatedly that there is no other area of the Church’s life and ministry that is as important for priests and bishops as that of combatting sexual abuse in all its various forms. Indeed, unless the Church is able to show that it can protect children, it will be unable to authentically preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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I thank the Bishops Conference for their kind invitation and the Jesuit Community for its warm welcome. And I look forward to meeting with the Bishops and other Church leaders here in Slovenia and to learn about their journey of prevention and protection so far and to discuss together how to ensure that all are provided with safe spaces in our Church so that we can be sure that the faithful can experience the fullness of life promised by God and to bring the reign of God more closely into our daily lives. Any progress has to be visible, stable and verifiable if it is going to bring some degree of confidence that real change is taking place. I look forward to helping the Church in Slovenia bring about that progress. The consequences for failure in this area are simply too heavy to bear.
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In Historic First Commission Joins Latin America Safeguarding Network
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BRASÍLIA — In a landmark first for the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, it participated in the fourth meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for a Culture of Care, joining more than 100 safeguarding representatives from 17 countries in Brasília from 31 August to 3 September to strengthen regional cooperation on prevention, formation and safeguarding practice. Strengthening …
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Safeguarding at the Heart of Governance: Commission Joins CASILEP Conference in Nairobi
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NAIROBI — The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors contributed to a continental gathering of Catholic religious working in canon and civil law in Nairobi, highlighting the relationship between safeguarding, governance and the protection of human dignity across Church institutions. The conference, organised by Catholic Sisters in the Legal Profession, or CASILEP, brought together legal professionals and Church representatives from across …
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AMECEA Highlights Safeguarding in Its Synodal Journey With Young People
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NAIROBI — More than 140 Catholic bishops from across Eastern Africa gathered in Nairobi for the 21st Plenary Assembly of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), with young people and their role in the life of the Church at the centre of the week-long meeting. Held at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa from July 18-26, the assembly …
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Commission Contributes to 2027 Brazilian Church Lenten Campaign on the care of children
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ROME - The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has contributed to preparations for the Catholic Church in Brazil’s 2027 Lenten Campaign, which will focus on the theme “Fraternity and the Care of Children.” The National Conference of the Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) publicly launched the campaign on 23 July, presenting its visual identity, prayer and hymn. The campaign …
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Register Now For II Global Encounter on Abuse Prevention in Consecrated Life
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More than 200 participants have already signed up for the Second Annual Encounter, taking place in Rome from 9 to 11 December 2026. Registration closes August 31st ROME — Registration remains open until August 31st for the Second Annual Encounter on the Prevention of Abuse in Consecrated Life, which will bring together Church leaders, safeguarding professionals and representatives of consecrated …
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A Road that Still Holds After the Rains
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During a visit to the AMECEA Secretariat in Nairobi, Commission Secretary Bishop Alí Herrera reflected on a local saying that captured the essence of safeguarding: a road is judged not by how straight it runs, but by how many people can still walk it after the rains have come. NAIROBI, Kenya (July 28, 2026) — The secretary of the Pontifical …
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“A Culture of Protection Is Never Built in a Single Season”: Commission Visits Tangaza University
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“Prevention that begins after ordination begins late. Prevention that begins in formation shapes a person before the habits of authority have hardened.” — Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera NAIROBI, Kenya (July 28, 2026) — Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, visited Tangaza University on July 28, highlighting the central role of formation in building a lasting culture of safeguarding …
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Ecumenism in Safeguarding: Growing Collaboration Across Christian Churches
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Recent ecumenical initiatives have highlighted the growing commitment of Christian Churches to work together in strengthening safeguarding practices, sharing expertise, and developing common standards to protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults. From 19–21 June 2026, the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE/GEKE) convened its launch conference, “Against Sexual Violence in Churches,” in Warsaw. Bringing together more than seventy …
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Commission Contributes to Launch of Zimbabwe’s New Child Protection and Online Safety Plans
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The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors joined the Government, UNICEF and partners in Bulawayo to strengthen child protection systems, boost investment for children and advance safeguarding collaboration across sectors. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe reinforced its commitment to protecting children with the successful hosting of the Zimbabwe National Child Protection Conference from July 7–10 at the Zimbabwe International Trade …
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Indian Church Expands Safeguarding Preparation for Overseas Mission Personnel
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Capacity-Building Programmes Equip Church Leaders and Missionaries to Create Safer Environments MUMBAI/PUNE, India — Caritas India has expanded its safeguarding formation efforts through a series of training programmes designed to strengthen the protection of children and vulnerable adults across Church institutions, social ministries and overseas mission settings. A three-day safeguarding workshop, held from 13–15 May 2026 at the Sarvodaya Capacity …
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Card. O' Malley's Address to Churches in Central and Eastern Europe
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"Honest assessment of our failures gives the Church the insights needed for the ongoing work of doing all that is possible to prevent further abuse."
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Pope to warsaw Conference: Misguided concern for Church reputation should not sideline abuse victims' welfare
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In a video message to a 3-day conference in Warsaw, Poland, on safeguarding children from abuse in the Church, Pope Francis calls for real and reliable change. By Vatican News staff reporter As an important international conference on the protection of vulnerable children and adults for the Churches of Central and Eastern Europe kicks off in the Polish capital, Warsaw, …
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The Voices of Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse
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Ewa Kusz, a member of the organizing committee for the regional conference on the protection of minors for central and eastern Europe taking place in Warsaw, gathers the voices of people who have been abused by priests. By Ewa Kusz What do those who have been wounded within the Church say? What do they expect from the Church, from “Church …
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PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS
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Largo Giovanni Paolo II | 00120 – Vatican City State
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