蜜桃交友

By Linda Bordoni

The safeguard and the protection of minors from clerical sexual abuse has become an urgent priority for the Catholic Church that is increasingly under pressure to give a credible and robust response to victims, their families, their communities and to all Catholic faithful.

One body that was established to do so is the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors that was established as an advisory body to the Pope.

Headed by Cardinal Sean O鈥橫alley, its mandate is to propose the most opportune initiatives for protecting minors and vulnerable adults in order that the Church may do everything possible to ensure that crimes such as those which have occurred are no longer repeated.

It does so by uniting its efforts to those of other institutions and to bishops鈥� conferences across the world and producing tools like guidelines, good-practices and formation courses for Church leadership.

A press release was published on Sunday at the conclusion of the Commission鈥檚 9^th Plenary Assembly that took place in the Vatican.

Cardinal O鈥橫alley spoke to Pope鈥� Sergio Centofanti about the most urgent and significant issues Commission members focused on during the Assembly.

Asked whether, given the present situation, is the Church really listening to survivors and learning from them, Cardinal O鈥橫alley said 鈥渞ecent events in the Church have us all focused on the urgent need for a clear response on the part of the Church for the sexual abuse of minors鈥�.

The importance of listening to survivors  

Of course, he pointed out, one of the Commissions鈥� tasks and responsibilities is to listen to survivors: 鈥渨e are always anxious to have the testimony of survivors to inform our deliberations and judgment鈥� and as we often have, he said 鈥渨e began our meeting listening to two testimonies鈥�.

One priority O鈥橫alley singled out is the work Commission members do to address newly appointed bishops.

鈥淓very year, he said, we make a real effort to bring the voices of the survivors to church leadership. It is crucial if people are going to have an understanding of how important it is for the Church to respond quickly and correctly any time a situation of abuse may arise鈥�.

O鈥橫alley also pointed out that if the Church is unable to respond wholeheartedly and make this a priority, all its other activities are all going to suffer.

Commission鈥檚 mandate to promote local responsibility in safeguarding

The Cardinal also explained how the Commission has been tireless in taking the message of safeguarding throughout the world.

In some continents, he said, it is a new theme and in some areas the Church is under-resourced, so the Commission is planning new conferences in places like Brazil, Colombia and Poland and working on guidelines and best practices as well as developing auditing instruments to be used by Bishops Conferences to measure their implementation and compliance.

Cardinal O鈥橫alley commented on the positive feedback the Commission is receiving regarding education and formation and of a series of initiatives to set up advisory panels in different continents.

Role of the Commission

Cardinal O鈥橫alley agreed there is much confusion 鈥� in the public - about the Commission鈥檚 role and mandate and explained it is not a body that deals with past cases or particular situations of abuse.

鈥淲e are trying to change the future so it will not be a repeat of the sad history, and we do that making recommendations to the Holy Father and promoting best practices and guidelines that take into account safeguarding, prevention, educational programs that address the formation of leadership so that bishops, priests and religious will be equipped to be able to respond and put the safeguarding of children and the pastoral care of victims as their priority鈥� he said.

In English we have a saying, O鈥橫alley confided: 鈥渁n ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!鈥�