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Pope Francis stressed the need for ” effective programmes to protect against abuse ” in a message sent to participants in the Conference on the Safeguarding of the Catholic Church in Europe, promoted by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
The event, which opened on Wednesday, is attended by more than 100 experts and victims from 25 European countries, who will debate the issue until 15 November.
Francis encouraged him in a message sent at the opening: “Your commitment to this cause is a sign of the Church’s ongoing efforts to protect the most vulnerable.”
“I hope that your efforts to establish a network of people and good practices can provide a much-needed platform to share knowledge, support each other and ensure that protection programmes are effective and sustainable ,” he added.
For his part, the head of this commission, the American cardinal Sean O’Malley, explained that it is a duty “to listen and respond to those who have been harmed.”
“We must follow due process in investigating allegations and we must show strong leadership in taking steps to best prevent any instances of abuse,” he added.
The Commission for the Protection of Minors published its first annual report at the end of October, as Francis had instructed, in which it highlights the need to “promote better access for victims” to the information they need to “address the problem of opacity.”
The text also advocates “streamlining and accelerating the processes of resignation” of ecclesiastical leaders.
Among the most notable observations, the report recognises “the right of every citizen to access any information that affects them”, including in cases of abuse, and also points out the “need” to study policies of “compensation” for victims.
The recommendation is also to “consolidate and clarify” the powers of each dicastery – “ministry” – of the Roman Curia in order to “guarantee efficient, rapid and rigorous management” of each possible case of abuse that reaches the Holy See.
