Vatican City, 12 October 2015 (VIS) –
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors gathered in
Plenary Assembly, from 9 to 11 October in Rome. It is the second time
that the full Commission has gathered together.
The Plenary Assembly began with Mass
with the Holy Father in the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Members then
focused their sessions on listening to and discussing progress
reports presented by the Working Groups formed in the February 2015
Plenary.
These Working Groups cover key areas of
the mission that has been entrusted to the Commission by the Holy
Father, namely to advise him, his collaborators and the local church
on the following areas of the protection of minors. The Working
Groups are:
- Guidelines for the safeguarding and
protection of minors;
- Healing and care for victims,
survivors and their families;
- Formation of candidates to the
priesthood and religious life and the education of Church leadership;
- Education of families and
communities;
- Theology and spirituality;
- Canonical and civil norms.
Particular areas of focus of these
working groups include research into the assessment and ongoing
formation of candidates to the priesthood and religious life; the use
of forensic assessments with people accused of a crime; the provision
of liturgical materials for the pastoral care of victims, survivors
and communities. The Commission does not address individual cases, it
does not exercise oversight, and is not a decision-making body.
Since its establishment, the Commission
for the Protection of Minors has been invited by Church leaders to
place the inter-disciplinary expertise of its members at the service
of Church in various parts of the world.
Commission members have taken part in
workshops, conferences and seminars on the protection of minors in
Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands
and recently in the Philippines, where 76 bishops attended. Next
month, Commission members will also address all of the bishops of
Central America.
Very positive feedback has been
received from the Commission's participation in these initiatives.
The Commission’s contribution has been seen as a resource for the
local Church worldwide as Bishops’ Conferences continue to develop
sound and culturally effective guidelines that reflect the local
reality.
The Commission plans to hold its next
Plenary Assembly in February, 2016.
Commission members:
Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap.,United
States of America, President; Msgr. Robert Oliver, United States of
America, Secretary; Rev. Fr. Luis Manuel Ali Herrera, Colombia;
Catherine Bonnet, France; Marie Collins, Ireland; Gabriel Dy-Liacco,
Philippines; Sheila Baroness Hollins, United Kingdom; Bill Kilgallon,
New Zealand; Sr. Kayula Lesa, RSC, Zambia; Sr. Hermenegild Makoro,
CPS, South Africa; Kathleen McCormack, Australia; Claudio Papale,
Italy; Peter Saunders, United Kingdom; Hanna Suchocka, Poland;
Krysten Winter-Green, United States of America; Rev. Fr. Humberto
Miguel Yanez, S.J., Argentina, and Rev. Fr. Hans Zollner, S.J.,
Germany.
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