Pope Leo XIV received the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors on Thursday morning in the Vatican.
In the restructuring of the Roman Curia, Pope Francis had elevated the Commission, which works to safeguard and prevent abuse and which he instituted at the start of his papacy, to be within the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
He had reminded the Commission that it retains independence to do what is most important to help in the fight against clerical sexual abuse and told members to report directly to him.
Pope Leo, likewise, appealed to the Commission to continue this direct communication with him, in order to ensure maximum efforts are made to protect minors and the vulnerable, in all respects.
The Church has taken significant steps to address cases of abuse, including the establishment of their Commission, the updating of canon law and other instruments that provide mechanisms for reporting abuse and misconduct by bishops, the obligation of mandatory reporting to civil authorities in certain jurisdictions, and a growing body of national guidelines and safeguarding protocols. But even so, the Commission noted that more needs to be done on various levels.
In April 2022, Pope Francis asked the Commission to present him with an Annual Report, to serve as a “reliable account of what the Church is doing, and what needs to change, in order to help competent authorities act.”
The Report, covering the 2023 calendar year, was produced by the Commission on 29 October 2024, and can be read here. It is broken into four sections and examines the situation of various local Churches and continents, the Roman Curia’s effectiveness in safeguarding, how the Church aids society to safeguard, and how the Commission offers a tool of accountability and transparency.
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