Commission for Protection of Minors holds Plenary Assembly

By Christopher Wells

Pope Francis received members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) in a private audience on Saturday. A press release from the Commission said that at the meeting, the Holy Father “stated his intention to definitively confirm the Commission’s statutes.”

The Commission was meeting in Rome for its Plenary Assembly, the first since Pope Francis appointed new members to the body in February.

At the Audience with the Pope, the members of the Commission explained their priorities, which they said, “are reflected in the following Working Groups: working with survivors; education and formation; and safeguarding guidelines and norms.”

Earlier in the week, at the beginning of their Plenary Assembly, the Commission heard from members of the Survivor Advisory Panel of the National Safeguarding Commission from England and Wales. “The gathering was part of the PCPM’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that the thoughts and contributions of people who have been abused inform all aspects of the Commission’s work,” according to the press release.

During the Assembly, the PCPM also heard presentations on “The Outcome of the Australian Royal Commission”; “The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”; and “The Role of Faith Communities in overcoming abuse trauma.”

The Commission concluded their Plenary Assembly on Sunday.