Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
holds plenary
(Vatican Radio) The
Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) met in Plenary
Assembly last week, September 8-11 focusing their attention on the three key
areas of education, a Day of Prayer and the Holy Father's MOTU PROPRIO
“As a Loving Mother”, on the accountability of Church leadership. The
Plenary also recognised the importance of digital technology and have
announced the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors will be
going live with its own website.
The Working Group meetings
focused on the updates for current projects, and developing draft proposals for
Pope Francis.
Please find below the full
press statement from the Commission:
The Pontifical Commission for
the Protection of Minors [PCPM] works throughout the year and came together in
Rome from September 5 through 11 for a week of Working Group meetings,
[Guidelines, Healing and Care, Education, Formation, Theology and Spirituality,
Canonical and Civil Norms] and for its Plenary Assembly.
The Working Group meetings
focused on the updates for current projects, and developing draft proposals for
the Holy Father, Pope Francis. For example, the Commission has
developed a template for guidelines in the safeguarding and protection of
children, adolescents and vulnerable adults, which we will shortly present to
the Holy Father for his consideration.
Education is key
Highlights of this Plenary
Assembly were the members’ reports on the progress of on-going education
programs, both at a local level and in the Vatican.
These initiatives are part of
the Commission’s effort to be of service to the Holy Father by placing their
expertise at the disposition of local churches and church leaders.
Commission members have also been invited to give talks and take part in
various conferences and workshops on all five continents.
These include: talks and
workshops held in Australia, in the Archdiocese of Melbourne; in South Africa
(SACBC), an orientation program for New Missionaries; in the Philippines
[CBCP], a workshop for the Archdiocese of Manila; in Colombia, a talk with
clergy of the Archdiocese of Bogotá, a workshop with religious communities,
workshops with the Major Seminary and a workshop with evangelization leaders;
USA, a talk with “United States National Safe Environment and Victims
Assistance Coordinators”; a workshop in Fiji; in New Zealand a series of talks
and workshops with the bishops and religious leaders; in Ghana a meeting with
the secretary generals of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and
Madagascar from the Association of [SECAM]; a meeting in Tanzania with child
protection practitioners from the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences
in Eastern Africa [AMECEA] in Argentina, a discussion with seminarians
and clergy of the Diocese of Moron, Buenos Aires; In Santo Domingo, a meeting
with fifty formators from thirteen different nations belonging to the Council
of Latin American Bishops Conferences [CELAM]; a meeting with Bishops and
canonists of Slovakia and Czech Republic; in Italy, a seminar for Abbots
of the Benedictine Confederation and participation in the Anglophone
Safeguarding Conference.
In the context of the
Vatican, Commission members were invited to address meetings of the Pontifical
Ecclesiastic Academy and the Congregation for Consecrated Life.
In the coming week members
have also been invited to address the training for new bishops held by the
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, a meeting of the Congregation
for the Clergy and the training for new Bishops held by the Congregation for
bishops.
Other education programs
planned in the coming months include workshops in Mexico, Ecuador and with the
Colombian Bishops Conference. The Commission has also been asked to
address the Conference of Major Superiors of Men in the US and to hold a
workshop for the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences [FABC].
Day of Prayer
A survivor of clerical child
sexual abuse made the proposal of a Day of Prayer to the Commission. The
Commission believes that prayer is one part of the healing process for
survivors and the community of believers. Public prayer is also an important
way of consciousness raising in the Church.
The Holy Father has requested
that National Bishops Conferences choose an appropriate day on which to pray
for the survivors and victims of sexual abuse as part of a Universal Day of
Prayer initiative.
The Commission was happy to
learn that many Bishops Conferences have already taken steps to enact the
proposal.
We were informed that in
Australia, the Church throughout the country marked the Day of Prayer on Sunday
September 11, in conjunction with their National Day for Child Protection.
The Bishops of the
Philippines have already begun to discuss how best to implement the Day of
Prayer and will soon announce a date.
The Southern African Bishops
Conferences [SACBC] have embraced the proposal dedicating three days to the
initiative from Friday December 2 to Sunday December 4., the second Sunday of
Advent. Friday will be observed as a day of fasting, there will be a
penitential vigil on Saturday and on Sunday a statement prepared by the SACBC,
will be read out in all parishes.
The PCPM has prepared
resources and materials for the Universal Day of Prayer and we are happy to
make them available on request.
MOTU PROPRIO “As a Loving
Mother”
The Holy Father’s motu
proprio “As a Loving Mother” was discussed. Accountability in dealing
with the scandal of child sexual abuse by clergy has been a major concern for
the Commission from the outset. In February 2015, the Commission made a
proposal to the Holy Father regarding bishop accountability. In “As
a Loving Mother”, Pope Francis goes beyond the accountability of bishops
broadening it to other Church leaders. The Commission has welcomed this.
Coming soon the PCPM
Website
Our presence in the digital
world is seen as key to furthering the Commission’s efforts to collaborate with
local Churches and disseminate the importance of the protection and
safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults. In the coming months the
Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors will be going live with its
own website. It is also our hope that it will be a useful resource for
the Church and all people of good will in our common goal, which is to make our
Church and our society a safe home for all.
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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