News
From The Commission
Commission Marks Day of the African Child with Online Forum on Children’s Rights
VATICAN CITY — An online forum organised by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors brought together participants from across Africa and international partners on 16 June to mark the International Day of the African Child (DAC), this year coinciding...
commission attends global gathering of women religious in tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors took part in two sessions at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation's Catholic Sisters Initiative Convening in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 12 June, contributing to international discussions on...
Ponifical Commission for the Protecton of Minors and Ending Clergy Abuse
Strong focus on the lived experience of victims and survivors in pursuit of truth, justice and reparation Presentation of the work of the Commission and the new Statutes Discussion of zero-tolerance of clerical child sexual abuse Commitment to expand protection to...
COMMISSION JOINS GLOBAL SUMMIT FOSTERING HOPE FOR CHILDREN 2026
ROME – Commission staff members joined the Global Summit 2026: Fostering Hope for Children, held from 3 to 5 June, contributing to wide-ranging international discussions on child protection, research and faith-based collaboration. Emer McCarthy and Serena Viti...
Vatican gives Commission new Statutes, Pope approves three year trial
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.
Safeguarding Training Strengthens Myanmar Church Capacity Amid Ongoing Crisis
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...
From Aid to Ownership: Reimagining Child Protection Systems in Africa
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...
Pallottines Unite Around a Common Mission: Caring for Children Means Protecting Them
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...
Countdown to Third Annual Report Begins in Synodal Dialogue with the Church in the Philippines
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...
German Conference of Religious Orders to Feature in Commission’s Third Annual Report
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...
From Our Partners
Applications Open: European Conference on Safeguarding in the Catholic Church
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) is pleased to announce a Call for Abstracts for its upcoming European Conference. This event is designed for Church leaders and safeguarding personnel in Dioceses and Religious Congregations from across Europe.
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...
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...
The ISC prepares the final event of its 2021 conference: Prevention Post Pandemic
The International Safeguarding Conference’s 2021 conference focused on the issue of Prevention Post Pandemic is ongoing, and its final event is drawing closer.
Bishop Arrieta: How Book VI of Canon Law has changed
Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru is the Secretary of the Pontifical Council of Legislative Texts. In an interview with Vatican Radio’s Christopher Wells, he explains why Book VI on Criminal Law has been revised and updated.
Vos Estis: Two Years Later, a Conversation with Canonists
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?
The ISC Launches its 2021 conference On Prevention post Pandemic
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.
Pope: child abuse is a kind of “psychological murder”
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”.
Cardinal Parolin: reaffirmS the dignity of Our Smallest ones
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.”
ACSL Says Goodbye to outgoing CEO Sheree Limbrick and welcomes Dr. Ursula Stephens as new CEO
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.”