Pope Francis'
new Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors held its first meeting in the Vatican from May 1-3.
Vatican Radio sets out the full text of the statement issued on behalf of the Commission at the end of the meeting. It reads in part:
Our conversations included many proposals for ways in which the Commission might collaborate with experts from different areas related to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults....
We will propose Statutes to the Holy Father to express more precisely the Commission’s nature, structure, activity, and the goals.... [T]he Commission will not deal with individual cases of abuse, but we can make recommendations regarding policies for assuring accountability and best practice.... [W]e plan to make specific proposals regarding the importance of emphasizing ways for raising the awareness of all people regarding the tragic consequences of sexual abuse and of the devastating consequences of not listening, not reporting suspicion of abuse, and failing to support victims/survivors and their families.
