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PRESS STATEMENT
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Secretary pro tempore, Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
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Ljubljana, November 28, 2022
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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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Vatican gives Commission new Statutes, Pope approves three year trial
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VATICAN CITY — The Holy See today published the revised Statutes of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, updating the body's mandate, structure and working methods more than a decade after its founding document was first issued.
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Safeguarding Training Strengthens Myanmar Church Capacity Amid Ongoing Crisis
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YANGON, Myanmar — In a national context marked by conflict, displacement, natural disaster and ongoing humanitarian pressure, the Catholic Church in Myanmar has taken another step in strengthening its safeguarding work through a five-session Training of Trainers for diocesan safeguarding focal persons. The online programme, held from 20–25 April 2026, was delivered in close partnership between the Pontifical Commission for the …
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From Aid to Ownership: Reimagining Child Protection Systems in Africa
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Cape Town — The reduction of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding for child-focused programmes in parts of Africa has prompted renewed reflection on the sustainability of services supporting children and vulnerable adults. For decades, USAID has been a central development partner in sectors such as maternal and child health, immunisation, nutrition, education and child protection, particularly in contexts affected by …
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Pallottines Unite Around a Common Mission: Caring for Children Means Protecting Them
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KONSTANCIN-JEZIORNA, Poland — Some 40 representatives from 18 countries gathered near Warsaw from May 12–17 for an international meeting of Pallottine Coordinators of the Apostolate for Children, organized by the General Secretariat for the Apostolate of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate. Held at the Centre for Apostolate and Mission in Konstancin-Jeziorna under the theme "Children – Our Future and Responsibility," the meeting brought …
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Countdown to Third Annual Report Begins in Synodal Dialogue with the Church in the Philippines
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MANILA — The countdown to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors’ Third Annual Report begins in the Philippines, where a working visit has brought renewed momentum to safeguarding efforts in the local Church. From 30 April to 1 May, the Commission and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines convened bishops, religious leaders and safeguarding partners to advance …
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German Conference of Religious Orders to Feature in Commission's Third Annual Report
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VALLENDAR, Germany — On the occasion of the annual gathering of the German Conference of the Superiors of Religious Orders (Deutsche Ordensobernkonferenz), Francesco Pappalardo and Agustìn Dìaz Herrero, members of the Commission staff, were invited to participate in the event, which brought together nearly 200 representatives from the almost 400 religious institutes represented by the Conference. The gathering included sessions …
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CELAM and Tutela Minorum Strengthen Collaboration for a Culture of Care in Latin America and the Caribbean
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ROME — Two online meetings held in April between the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) and the Commission marked a further step in strengthening regional collaboration on safeguarding and the promotion of a culture of care across Latin America and the Caribbean. The meetings were organised within the framework of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for a …
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Tutela Minorum Joins CLAR to support Safeguarding Efforts Across Latin America
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LIMA — As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen a culture of safeguarding across Latin America, Fr Agustín Jara Podestá, OFM, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors' regional expert for the Americas from the Commission, participated in the Continental Seminar for Major Superiors and Congregational Delegates, organised by the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious (CLAR) from …
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Registration opens for second Annual Encounter on abuse prevention in consecrated life
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ROME — Registration has opened for the second Annual Encounter on abuse prevention in consecrated life, organised by the Commission. The international gathering will take place in Rome from 9 to 11 December 2026. Titled Called to Communion, Care and Justice: Mutual Relations for a Shared Mission, the encounter will bring together Church leaders and safeguarding practitioners from around the …
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Safeguarding Workshop in South Africa Confronts Abuse and Builds Resilience Among Religious Women
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BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa — A three-day safeguarding workshop led by the Commission has brought renewed focus to the protection of religious women, addressing the reality of abuse and reinforcing prevention efforts within a local congregation. Held from 6 to 8 March in Bloemfontein, the workshop was facilitated by Br. Fortune Chakasara, Regional Safeguarding Expert for Africa, for members of the Franciscan Sisters of Siessen. Organised under the …
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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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