The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors may communicate directly to the competent dicasteries of the Holy See any serious or repeated deficiencies detected in the reporting and protection systems of local Churches, as established in the new statutes approved by Pope Leo XIV for an experimental period of three years.
The Holy See Press Office published the updated statutes of the Commission, which replace those approved in 2015 and adapt the functioning of the body to the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, the reform of the Roman Curia promulgated by Pope Francis in 2022.
Leo XIV updates the structure of the Commission
The reform keeps the Commission integrated within the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, but reaffirms its specific mission of advising the Holy Father directly on all matters related to the protection of minors and vulnerable persons.
The new text clarifies the competencies of the body, its relations with the various dicasteries, and its role in promoting prevention and accompaniment policies throughout the Church.
The Commission will continue to report directly to the Pope through its president and will collaborate closely with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in areas such as formation, the development of protection programs, the preparation of ad limina visits, and the drafting of the annual report on safeguarding.
In addition, the president or the secretary of the Commission will form part of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith during their term of office.
Greater attention to victims and survivors
The update of the statutes places special emphasis on listening to victims and survivors of abuse as one of the fundamental principles of the Commission’s work.
The president of the body, French Archbishop Thibault Verny, highlighted that the new text is the result of the experience accumulated by the Church in recent years.
“The Statutes represent an important step in deepening our shared responsibility to protect and care for the most vulnerable,” he stated.
Verny added that the new provisions “reflect our listening to victims and survivors, to experts in the field of protection, and to the experience of local Churches,” reaffirming that safeguarding remains a priority for the Church.
Reporting, listening, and accompaniment systems
The new statutes strengthen the responsibility of dioceses, episcopal conferences, and religious institutes in creating effective mechanisms for the prevention and reporting of abuse.
The Commission must assist local Churches in establishing stable and accessible systems for filing complaints, as well as pastoral structures intended to welcome and accompany victims.
It will also promote the creation of regional and national centers where those who have suffered abuse can receive welcome, spiritual assistance, medical care, and psychological support.
The text also emphasizes the protection of the privacy of the persons involved and the confidentiality of personal data.
One of the main novelties is that, when it detects repeated non-compliance or serious shortcomings in local protection systems, the Commission may forward its assessments and recommendations to the competent dicasteries of the Holy See so that they may exercise their corresponding responsibilities.
An annual report on the state of safeguarding in the Church
The new statutes also consolidate one of the Commission’s most significant tasks: the preparation of an Annual Report on policies for the protection of minors and vulnerable persons in the Church.
This document will gather information from the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, episcopal conferences, religious institutes, and other ecclesial bodies to provide a global assessment of the initiatives developed in the area of safeguarding.
The report will be presented to the Pope and, after consultation with the Secretariat of State, may be made public with pontifical authorization.
According to the text approved by Leo XIV, the objective will be to offer a transparent view of the state of protection in the universal Church, identify systemic problems, and formulate proposals for improvement.
A commission with presence throughout the Church
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was created by Pope Francis in 2014 as part of the Church’s response to the crisis of sexual abuse.
The new statutes maintain a structure composed of a maximum of 23 members appointed by the Pontiff, coming from different countries and with experience in areas related to the protection of minors.
The Commission will continue to meet twice a year in plenary assembly and will carry out its work through regional groups, study groups, specialized consultants, and a permanent executive council responsible for coordinating the various initiatives.
With this normative update, Leo XIV consolidates the structure created during the previous pontificate and strengthens the mechanisms aimed at promoting prevention, transparency, accountability, and accompaniment for victims throughout the Church.