Protecting Minors Commission presents Annual Report in Vatican

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

The first-ever Annual Report on Church Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding, covering the 2023 calendar year, produced by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, was presented at the Holy See Press Office, on Tuesday, 29 October 2024.

Those speaking were the Commission's President, Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap.; Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, jurist, in charge of the Annual Report; Commission Secretary, Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera; and Commission Assistant Secretary, Dr. Teresa Morris Kettelkamp.

In addition, Commission member Juan Carlos Cruz, promoter of the rights of survivors of clerical abuse worldwide and communication consultant offered remarks, along with Sr. Niluka Perera of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd who serves as coordinator of Catholic Care for Children International (CCCI).

The Full Text of the Pilot Report can be read in English by clicking this link, on the website of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

Tool of transparency

This Pilot report 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.

It tells how the Church is doing with regard to safeguarding, what risks remain, and what ought to be done. It lists challenges and offers recommendations to the local Churches that were studied and on the continental level.

Moreover, the Report also addresses the challenges for the Roman Curia's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose Disciplinary Section is responsible for justice, and recommends ways to more effectively help victims and prevent these crimes.

Pope's Mandate

In the restructuring of the Roman Curia, the Pope raised up the Protection for the Commission of Minors, which works to safeguard and prevent abuse, to be within the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. 

The Holy Father has reminded the structure that it retains independence to do what is most important to help in the fight against clerical sexual abuse and has told members to report directly to him.

In April 2022, the Pope 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 Document, the Commission has noted, traces a process, that went from a time when abuse was widespread and coverup and mishandling were common, to a new era where there is safeguarding, reporting, investigating and care.

In the Report, it was observed that countries that have been faced with abuse scandals have since implemented guidelines that have caused the number of cases to plummet dramatically, they likewise warned that across the world there has not been this same learning curve. For instance, it was emphasized that there is a lack of data and resources across the Global South, especially in Mexico, and that they are focusing much of their attention on these regions.

Safeguarding and transparency for victims

Cardinal O'Malley began by underscoring that the Commission’s work, including this report, "is and always has been about recognition and inclusion of victims and survivors of abuse in the life of the Church."

The Commission, as a permanent institution of the Church, tasked with accompanying and assisting with the local Churches’ safeguarding ministry, he explained, lives out their mandate to accompany in three concrete ways.

The first, he noted, is policy review and victims’ advocacy, where they evaluate and suggest improvements to the safeguarding policies and procedures adopted by the various Church entities spread throughout the world.

The second, he went on to say, is capacity building through the Commission’s Memorare Initiative, to promote the effective implementation of those policies and procedures.

And finally, the third, he noted, is reporting through the Annual Report, in order to document progress, deficiencies, and recommendations. These three interrelated activities, he underscored, are active on an ongoing basis and this iterative cycle forms the Commission’s model for promoting change.

Progress between two periods

Victims' accounts, the Cardinal decried, "reveal a deceitful period where Church leaders tragically failed those we are called to shepherd." He called it "an unprofessional period where Church leaders make decisions without any adherence to policies, procedures or basic standards of concern for the victims," and "a dark period where distrust obstructs the Church’s ability to be a witness to Christ."

Fortunately, he suggested, we are undergoing a second period, which he said is beginning to take shape in many parts of the globe, "where accountability, care and concern for victims is beginning to bring light to the darkness."

It is a period, he elaborated, where "robust reporting systems are in place allowing us to listen and respond to victims, with a trauma-informed approach;" where "risk management protocols and informed oversight promote safe environments"; where "the Church provides professionalized victim accompaniment services"; where "those ministering and working in the Church are provided with the training and formation they need to promote a culture of safeguarding.

"It is a period where the Church fully embraces her safeguarding ministry."

Our journey as Church, Cardinal O'Malley stressed, is a story of our experience and progress between these two periods.

Former UN Special Rapporteur on Sexual Exploitation chair of report

Dr. Buquicchio, who has served as Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and was the UN's Special Rapporteur for Sexual Exploitation from 2012 to 2020, discussed the report.

"In the course of my professional career, spanning over half a century, at the international and global level, dedicated to combating violence against children in all its forms – and in particular sexual abuse and exploitation," she said she has seen and heard first-hand the "urgent and resounding call" for accountability and justice.

"For too long this call has gone unanswered in the Church when it comes to responding to abuse committed by the clergy," she said. However,  with this first Annual Report we, as a Commission," she delineated, "are engaging Church leadership at its highest levels - be it in the local Churches or the Church’s governance structure in the Vatican - in acknowledging the urgent need to better answer that call."

The expert acknowledged that this Pilot Report is "far from perfect," "but it has a sound methodology that will build over time, to become increasingly comprehensive and robust." This report, she noted, first and foremost includes direct learnings from victims and survivors.

More comprehensive in future

In the years ahead, she said we will also develop our outreach to more comprehensively include the religious and the lay faithful, and finally, she asserted, "we know we, in collaboration with many others, need to significantly improve our data verification, through cross references with external sources."

This Report, she highlighted, "promotes the Church’s commitment to a rigorous human rights-based and victim-focused response to the scourge of abuse – consistent with the recent reforms of Book VI of the Code of Canon Law that frames the crime of abuse as a violation of the dignity of the human person."

"As I have often been quoted," the international expert expressed, “'Children are not mini human beings with mini human rights,'" stressing that reforming Canon Law's Book VI on Penal Sanctions in the Church and this Annual Report contribute towards ensuring that truth

Need for better data verification

Based on my experience as UN Special Rapporteur on sexual exploitation of children reporting to the UN Governance (General Assembly and Human Rights Council) on thematic or local issues, I stress the long-term impact of such reporting mechanisms, as the result of a cumulative sequence across my predecessors’ and successors’ reports, which are always the fruit of dialogue with numerous stakeholders.

The reporting tool that we are presenting today is one that will allow the Church to offer victims and their communities an honest account of progress and persistent gaps over time - accompanied by recommendations for those who are in a position to do so, to fill these gaps.

"Regrettably," she acknowledged, "much of the Church remains without robust data collection practices or capacities," despite the fact that "data is key to our ability to promote accountability." "Therefore," she insisted, "we must commit to investing in the Church’s data collection infrastructure and resources!"

The expert also stressed the Report's role, as well, as a coordinating tool, "for sharing good practices" while "also calling Church leadership, the faithful and all those of goodwill to urge their implementation." 

Meanwhile, Commission Secretary, Bishop Herrera also pointed out that despite resistances that were met in the past to tackle this issue, he has seen a great improvement.

Likewise, Juan Carlos Cruz, a victim of sexual abuse and Commission member, admitted: "I never thought we would get to this day to be totally honest," and said he wanted to "thank Pope Francis for being truly invested in this," for "being sincere," and listening to and caring for victims."

Times are changing

"I have tremendous hope in this Annual Report," he said, adding: "Putting this together was not easy but it was done with confidence that this is an enormous first step." "We are using words we didn't use before, 'truth,' 'justice' and reparation,'" he said, noting "in the past, were 'taboo.'"

Dr. Buquicchio, stressed that times are changing, with less resistance, and how safeguarding, in terms of holding perpetrators accountable, and working to prevent these crimes is critical for a safe Church. 

During the Q&A with the press present, one journalist asked whether the speakers had thoughts as to whether celibate life in the priesthood contributes to the sexual abuse crisis.

Dr. Buquicchio refuted this suggestion, stating there is a disconnect because this is not a matter of sexual relations between adults, but "a crime," a "criminal act of paedophilia against children" which requires psychological support and care.

Moreover, Cardinal O'Malley also added that he recalls no serious study that suggests there is any link between celibacy and clerical sexual abuse of children.

In response to another question posed, Dr. Buquicchio noted that the next edition of the Annual Report will delve further into reparation and its importance for victims.