|
|
PRESS STATEMENT
|
Secretary pro tempore, Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
|
|
Ljubljana, November 28, 2022
|
|
|
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Card. O’ Malley: An Expanded Commission for an Expanded Mandate
|
|
|
|
Cardinal Seán O’Malley OFM. Cap., President, on the Appointment by Pope Francis of Members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors Today’s announcement by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, of members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors marks a further step in making our Church an ever-safer place for children and vulnerable persons. I congratulate …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Card O' Malley: A watershed moment for Commission
|
|
|
|
The 17th Ordinary Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors concluded with a clear mandate from Pope Francis. Below Commission President Cardinal O' Malley's statement to press. "On behalf of the commission I would like to welcome you all and thank you for coming today. I am happy to offer a few words in light of …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Card. O Malley: We Must do better
|
|
|
|
The President on the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has released a statement on news regarding Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. “STATEMENT BY H.E. CARDINAL SEÁN O’MALLEY, PRESIDENT, PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS “Conscience speaks to us if we are prepared to listen. In today’s message, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has provided us with an intimate description …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Card. O' Malley on EU Day against Child Sexual Abuse
|
|
|
|
“We cannot repair what we do not recognize. We cannot restore a broken trust if we do not address the heart of the matter. This requires honest investigation, independent inquiry, and informed action.” The President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors marked the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, November …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nov. 18: A Global movement to protect children
|
|
|
|
On November 18, on the sidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Fall Assembly in Baltimore, Cardinals and World Faith Leaders will join child sexual abuse survivors for the Pathways to Prevention, Healing, and Justice Inaugural Sunrise Walk. At sunrise November 18, sexual abuse survivors from across the USA will walk to raise awareness in the role faith …
|
|
|
|
|
|
Italy joins growing number of churches to observe national Day of Prayer for Victims of Clerical Child Sex Abuse
|
|
|
|
The 1st National Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse takes place across Italy’s diocese on November 18. Bishop Lorenzo Ghizzoni of Ravenna-Cervia and President of the National Service for the Protection of Minors, explains that this is "an occasion to be enhanced in the local Churches thanks to the commitment of diocesan representatives, parish priests, consecrated persons, …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Card. O' Malley: Verification of Safeguarding policies key factor of accountability
|
|
|
|
On Thursday November 4, Tutela Minorum President Cardinal Sean O' Malley addressed participants in a study convention presenting the results of Project SAFE. Sponsored by the European Union the project focused on promoting child safeguarding in three Italian associations that work specifically with children, adolescents and vulnerable adults: The Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, Azione Cattolica and Centro Sportivo Italiano. Below …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following letter and introduction from the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors is available in the original Italian. In questo tempo di rinnovamento e conversione pastorale in cui la Chiesa affronta lo scandalo e le ferite degli abusi sessuali inferti in ogni luogo a così tanti figli di Dio, il nostro Santo Padre ha ricevuto …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Card. O' Malley's Address to Churches in Central and Eastern Europe
|
|
|
|
"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."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Indian Church opens National Safeguarding Centre
|
|
|
|
By Fr Joshan Rodrigues. A significant step forward was taken by the Catholic Church in India with regards to the protection of minors and vulnerable persons, with the inauguration of the National Safeguarding Centre on the 8th of September 2021, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The establishment of the Centre is an initiative of His …
|
|
|
|
|
|
Card. O' Malley's Address to Churches in Central and Eastern Europe
|
|
|
"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."
|
|
|
|
Pope to warsaw Conference: Misguided concern for Church reputation should not sideline abuse victims' welfare
|
|
|
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, …
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Voices of Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse
|
|
|
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 …
|
|
|
|
|
|
PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS
|
|
Largo Giovanni Paolo II | 00120 – Vatican City State
|
|
|
|
