Vatican City, 8 February 2016 (VIS) –
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has had seven
full days of meetings in Rome. Meetings of the six Working Groups
focused on updates for current projects, and developing and drafting
proposals. External collaborators who assisted the Working Groups
included the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development (CAFOD), and an
expert in Penal Canon Law. Draft proposals were presented to the
Plenary Assembly for further discussion and decision about policies
to propose to the Holy Father. Policies endeavour to recognise the
diversity of information and guidance currently available to the
Church around the world.
Examples of proposals being finalised
for Pope Francis’ consideration include: a request for him to
remind all authorities in the Church of the importance of responding
directly to victims and survivors who approach them; the finalisation
of a Universal Day of Prayer and a penitential liturgy.
Workshops on the legal aspects of the
Protection of Minors to establish more transparency around canonical
trials, with participation of external collaborators, are planned for
later in the year and a report and recommendations will be provided
at the next Plenary Assembly. A website is also being developed to
share Best Practice for the Protection of Minors around the world.
In order to fulfil the mission of the
Holy Father’s Chirograph for the Institution of the Commission to
promote local responsibility, Commission members are actively in
contact with numerous Bishops Conferences, and members of the
Commission have presented to Religious Conferences and Congregations
on safeguarding minors.
Over the past year or so, Commission
members have met with Bishops and child protection authorities in:
Philippines, Austria, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Scotland, Poland,
Central America (in Costa Rica), United States National Safe
Environment (SECs) and Victims Assistance Coordinators (VACs). As an
outcome of the workshop conducted by members of the Commission last
August in the Philippines, the Philippine Bishops’ Conference
created a child safeguarding office and Pastoral Exhortation on the
pastoral care and protection of minors.
A meeting is planned in March in Ghana
with Secretaries General of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of
Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), and a second meeting with child
protection practitioners drawn from the Association of Member
Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) in Tanzania.
Commission members are also attending the Anglophone Safeguarding
Conference in Rome and the United States National Safe Environment
and Victims Assistance Coordinators 2016. In 2017 the Federation of
Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) has requested a workshop with
Commission members. The Commission likewise welcomes the recent
announcement that in a week’s time the first course offering a
diploma in the Safeguarding of Minors at the Pontifical Gregorian
University will start with 19 participants from four continents:
Africa, Europe, America and Asia.
The September 2016 meeting of the
Commission will have a strategic focus on safeguarding minors in
Catholic schools, and will invite contributions from experts in Latin
America, England and Wales.
The Pontifical Commission for the
Protection of Minors was created by Pope Francis in March of 2014.
The Chirograph of His Holiness Pope Francis states specifically, “The
Commission’s specific task is to propose to me the most opportune
initiatives for protecting minors and vulnerable adults, in order
that we may do everything possible to ensure that crimes such as
those which have occurred are no longer repeated in the Church. The
Commission is to promote local responsibility in the particular
Churches, uniting their efforts to those of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, for the protection of all children and
vulnerable adults.”
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