From 13 to 15 May 2025, Góra Świętej Anny (St. Anne’s Mountain) in Poland hosted a significant national training summit on the protection of minors and vulnerable persons in the Church, under the banner “Community of Hope.” Among the key speakers was Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, whose address set a decisive tone for the three-day gathering of over 200 child protection leaders and Church officials. 

In a stirring opening lecture, Bishop Alí called for nothing short of a cultural revolution in the Church’s response to abuse:

“The culture of silence must give way to the revolution of transparency.”  

Speaking with a pastoral urgency, he urged the Polish Church—rooted in faith and tradition—to embrace “prophetic creativity and institutional courage” in the face of systemic failures that have left many victims unheard and justice delayed. 

From Policies to Prophetic Action 

Bishop Alí reminded attendees that safeguarding children and vulnerable people is not just about implementing guidelines and policies. Quoting Pope Francis, he said it must be seen as a “path of conversion”—one that requires humility in recognising past errors, courage in promoting justice, and an authentic listening to voices too often ignored. 

He warned that merely adopting procedures is insufficient: “Where there is a lack of a culture of listening, transparency of actions and their accountability, even the best regulations remain a dead letter of the law.” 

The Bishop praised the formation of diocesan protection teams in Poland but pressed for deeper introspection: “Do victims really feel they can speak freely? Are communities equipped to recognise signs of abuse? Are those responsible held accountable—without exceptions?” 

He also addressed Poland’s unique context, a nation with strong Catholic traditions and a history of resistance against oppression. “In Poland, where Catholicism remains a predominant force in shaping national identity for many, this challenge becomes particularly urgent,” he said. “You are called once again to resist—to say ‘no’ to the culture of silence and ‘yes’ to the revolution of transparency.” 

The Church as a Safe Home 

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, said Bishop Alí, was established to help make the Church a “safe home” for all. This includes not only developing safeguards but actively involving survivors of abuse in shaping new structures. 

He proposed a range of concrete actions: 

• Involving survivors in diocesan councils to ensure they become architects of justice; 

• Developing protection protocols for the digital environment, a new frontier for child exploitation; 

• Sharing expertise and resources with Churches in Central and Eastern Europe in solidarity; 

• Organising regional conferences that include civil society and media to encourage public accountability; 

• Creating solidarity funds to support protection structures in poorer dioceses. 

“This is not utopia,” Bishop Herrera insisted. “This is the synodal Church envisioned by Pope Francis and echoed by Pope Leo XIV. ” 

Learning from the Past, Reforming for the Future 

Reflecting on the first Annual Report of the Pontifical Commission, Bishop Alí reiterated that many dioceses still lack meaningful structures: “While child protection structures have been established in many dioceses and religious orders, some offices remain insufficiently operationalized, under-resourced, or inconsistently applied across jurisdictions. .” 

He pointed out five significant barriers that must be overcome: 

1. Cultural taboos around discussing abuse; 

2. Spiritual and hierarchical authority that discourages questioning; 

3. Canonical delays that stall justice; 

4. Unclear definitions of who qualifies as “vulnerable”; 

5. Operational inefficiencies in protection systems. 

He commended the Polish Episcopal Conference for initiating education programmes and pilot implementations of the Universal Guidelines Framework (UGF), led by Commission Member Dr. Ewa Kusz, but stressed that the journey is far from over. 

“Transform tradition into prophecy,” he urged, invoking the example of Blessed Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, the martyred priest and champion of truth under Communism. “Truth must cost,” Bishop Herrera declared. “True love is sacrificial, and so is truth.” 

A Church of the Wounded, Not the Perfect 

Throughout his address, Bishop Alí emphasised a shift in perspective—placing the wounded at the centre. “Without this reversal, all reforms risk remaining theoretical,” he said. “We must build a Church that heals, not hides.” 

He further urged the Polish Church to become a Church of action, especially in new areas of risk, such as: 

• The digital world, which must become an “educational alliance,” not a place of danger; 

• Minor migrants, who should be called by name, not treated as statistics; 

• Seminaries and formation houses, which must train future priests to be “martyrs of justice,” not bureaucrats of sacred structures; 

• Youth councils, given real authority to make decisions, turning young people from passive attendees into active co-protagonists in the Church. 

He challenged Church leaders to practise public humility by holding open diocesan meetings, where bishops are asked difficult questions—even anonymously—and respond sincerely, even without pre-set answers. 

“Without such visible vulnerability, any dialogue will remain sterile,” he cautioned. 

A Turning Point: Listening to Survivors 

The Bishop described the November 2024 meeting between Polish bishops and abuse survivors as a historic, symbolic moment. While he acknowledged prior discussions and initiatives on abuse reform, he stressed that this was the first time the Episcopate collectively engaged publicly with victim-survivor voices. Three survivors representing a specific advocacy network presented firsthand testimonies to the bishops, explicitly outlining their expectations for accountability and systemic change. 

This new path, he said, “reflects the awakening in the collective conscience of the Polish Church to the urgency of transparency and justice.” 

A Final Appeal: Do Not Be Afraid 

Bishop Alí concluded his address with a powerful call to courage and compassion: 

“Do not be afraid to dirty your hands in the wounds of the world. It is there that Christ awaits us.” 

His words resonated deeply among those gathered at Monte Sant’Anna—a spiritual centre he likened to Abraham’s tent at Mamre, a place of divine encounter. It was a fitting metaphor for the Church’s mission: to be a sanctuary not only of prayer but of justice, protection, and healing. 

The “Community of Hope” summit thus became more than just a training—it was a clarion call for the Church in Poland, and beyond, to move from procedural compliance to prophetic transformation. In Bishop Herrera’s vision, the Church must not merely adopt the right policies but become an embodiment of justice, love, and truth—costly though they may be. 

As the Church continues its global journey toward accountability and renewal, these words serve as both guide and challenge.  Now is the time, Bishop Herrera insists, to choose transparency over silence, courage over complacency, and the wounded Christ over institutional comfort.