As the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors publishes on Thursday its second Annual Report on Church Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding, its President, Archbishop Thibault Verny, speaks to Vatican News about the body’s work, listening to the victims and walking with local Churches to promote safeguarding measures.
By Jean-Charles Putzolu
The second Annual Report on Church Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, released on Thursday, October 16, includes a series of recommendations addressed to episcopal conferences and promotes the development of “welcoming listening centres” to help victims of abuse by clergy members.
This listening, the report emphasizes, will allow the Church to learn and refine its commitment against abuse. The text also highlights the importance of supporting episcopal conferences in implementing guidelines, relying both on local experiences and the support of apostolic nuncios.
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors thus continues its efforts to heal wounds, through a greater involvement of the victims, as explained by Archbishop Thibault Verny, president of the body, in an interview with Vatican News.
Archbishop Verny, I presume you have already presented the report of the commission you chair to Pope Leo XIV…
Pope Leo XIV wants the work of the Commission to be part of a process of continuity—or rather, of deepening. In this regard, he met me, along with the secretary of the Commission, at the beginning of September, and we had the opportunity to present this second Annual Report to him along with the recommendations, which he attentively took note of.
What are the main points of this second report, and how does it differ from the previous one?
This document is structured around three main themes. First of all, we listened to the comments — not to say the limitations — that had emerged from the first report, in the sense that the voices of the victims were not very present. For this second report, we made a point of involving a reflection group made up of victims. Forty people helped us draft this annual report—forty victims from different parts of the world.
The second theme is the enrichment of the data at our disposal. We wanted to broaden our sources so they wouldn’t be solely internal to the Church. Thus, we also used data from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. For each country we highlighted, this allowed for a resonance between external and internal Church data.
The third theme is our yearly focus on a selection of countries, religious congregations, and dicasteries. We don’t review every country every year—it would be impossible. Therefore, each annual report has its own specific focus.
Why was the participation of victims so important in preparing this second report?
It’s part of a fundamental attitude: walking with victims and listening with humility, seriousness, and sorrow. The goal is to move forward together—not only to uncover the truth, but also to see, together, what decisions or changes are needed to protect the most vulnerable.
When a victim comes to share their testimony, they expect acknowledgement, or even reparation. They expect action to be taken to prevent these issues from happening again. Victims truly help us move forward. We cannot act without them.
This second report highlights systemic gaps within a known historical context. How should we respond to that?
The report refers to systemic gaps, which is not to say systematic ones. I remember the statement released by the Plenary Assembly of the French Bishops in November 2021, which highlighted the systemic nature of abuse in the sense that it was not only the result of isolated individuals, but was made possible by a broader context. Certain structures, mentalities, and practices within the Catholic Church allowed these acts to continue and prevented them from being punished. This is what the French Bishops’ statement declared.
The appropriate response is a conversion of hearts and a commitment to prevention by everyone—not just a few specialists or individuals, but everyone. I would add that by establishing clear framework measures, such as the vademecum and the universal Church’s guidelines, the Church is offering what could be called a systemic response, rather than an individual one. This is what victims are calling for, and what has been highlighted in the transitional – or conversional – justice, that works towards the conversion of hearts. This is an important aspect of our annual report, to enable reforms so that such abuse does not happen again.
There are guidelines in place, applicable to episcopal conferences worldwide. Can there be different interpretations from one region of the world to another?
The Commission is here to walk with the episcopal conferences. This is what I experienced for example, when I met with French-speaking African episcopal conferences. These guidelines should be appropriated by different cultures, mindsets, and nations.
The previous guidelines—particularly the vademecum of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith—focused more on disciplinary procedures. The next guidelines will include protection and prevention.
By “appropriation,” do you mean that these guidelines might be applied differently in different regions?
A life is a life. Vulnerability remains vulnerability. No matter what—and sometimes there’s a temptation to smooth over the truth—a life remains a life, regardless of the circumstances. This is central to the Church’s mission. God sees all human life with the same value, regardless of the circumstances.
The Memorare initiative has made the Commission’s closeness to local episcopal conferences concrete. How do these decentralized working groups help better understand the needs of local Churches?
The Memorare initiative is a beautiful example of listening and working alongside local Churches, as well as supporting them, sharing best practices, and potentially offering material solidarity to countries that need it.
On a more personal note, you are now well established in your role as president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. What is your assessment of the overall progress of the work?
We are witnessing a genuine global awakening, and of course, my new role gives me an even broader view than before. I am also pleased to see the Commission increasingly integrated into the Roman Curia and collaborating with the various dicasteries. This second annual report is the result of dialogue and support from various dicasteries, and I sincerely thank them.
Another example that shows how we work truly within the Church is that we rely on a network of apostolic nuncios who help us refine or diversify our perspective on different national realities.
