しかしながら、いくつかの模範的事例が強調されている。例えば:トンガの伝統的共同体癒し実践Hu Louifi、米国における被害者支援サービスの年次報告書、ケニア・マラウイ・ガーナにおける継続的なガイドライン見直しプロセス、ボルツァーノ=ブレッサノーネ教区における真実究明プロジェクト「見つめる勇気」(Il coraggio di guardare)などである。
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Pontifical Commission for Protection of Minors advances safeguarding at Plenary
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors concludes its Autumn Plenary Assembly held in Krakow, Poland.
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors concluded its Autumn Plenary Assembly in Krakow on Friday, marking five days of dialogue, strategic planning, and reflection focused on advancing safeguarding within the Church.
Held from 29 September to 3 October, the gathering brought together Commission members, experts, and regional representatives to advance the body’s mandate as outlined in Praedicate Evangelium. This was the first Plenary Assembly held under the leadership of Archbishop Thibault Verny, appointed President earlier this year.
First Assembly under new presidency
In his inaugural address, Archbishop Verny called for a renewed commitment to safeguarding as integral to the Church’s identity and mission. He outlined four strategic aims: fostering a universal safeguarding culture, developing a shared language through the Universal Guidelines Framework (UGF), strengthening regional networks through the Annual Report, and deepening dialogue with civil institutions.
Acknowledging both progress made and systemic gaps that persist, Archbishop Verny highlighted listening to victims and survivors, promoting transparency, and building accountable structures. He encouraged Commission members to act “with courage and compassion,” noting the urgency of unresolved safeguarding challenges and the global expectation for moral clarity and pastoral care from the Church.
Universal Guidelines Framework in final draft
A major focus of the Plenary was the Universal Guidelines Framework, which has been tested over the past year in pilot projects across four continents — in Zimbabwe, Tonga, Poland, and Costa Rica — and enriched by a synodal listening process.
Members reviewed the final draft of the Framework, which incorporates theological and canonical insights. The text will now be submitted to the Commission President for dialogue with relevant Dicasteries of the Roman Curia before being presented to the Holy Father.
Victim-Survivor engagement
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to centring the voices of victims and survivors through enhanced protocols and formation in outreach. Discussions focused on “Conversional Justice,” a framework emphasising truth, justice, reparations, and institutional reform as essential elements of healing.
Victims and survivors continue to play a key role in shaping the Commission’s work, particularly in the upcoming Second Annual Report, which highlights their contributions and perspectives.
Second Annual Report to focus on reparations
The Commission’s Second Annual Report on Church Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding (Reporting Year: 2024) will be released on 16 October in five languages. Continuing its exploration of Conversional Justice, the report focuses on reparations and introduces new external data sources to support transparency and accountability.
The Plenary also reviewed the Instrumentum Laboris for the Third Annual Report (Reporting Year: 2025), which will enter a synodal phase of dialogue and further data collection.
Building safeguarding capacity through the ‘Memorare Initiative’
Members assessed progress on the Memorare Initiative, which aims to strengthen local safeguarding capacity and is closely aligned with both the UGF and Annual Report.
Seventeen active projects are underway across the Americas (10), Africa (6), and Asia (1), contributing to a global ecosystem of safeguarding.
Collaboration with the Polish Bishops’ Conference
The Assembly concluded with a meeting with members of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, reinforcing the Commission’s commitment to accompany local Churches in their safeguarding efforts.
Reflecting on the decision to hold the Plenary in Poland, Archbishop Verny highlighted the importance of listening to victims and survivors and engaging local communities:
“It is about listening, walking humbly with victims. It is through and by the victims/survivors that we journey and discern. The Church is not separate from society—it walks with society; it is embedded in society. This culture of safeguarding must be lived in dialogue with society, learning from it in terms of foresight and protection.”
Archbishop Verny also stressed the importance of mutual learning across regions, noting that safeguarding advances in some parts of the Global South provides valuable lessons for other contexts:
“We must not assume that we are safe from the risk of further abuse happening because we have published policies and set up offices. Safeguarding complacency, safeguarding fatigue is setting in, and this is a major risk factor in bad decisions being made. We must continue to learn from one another and never oppose one another. Subsidiarity and fraternal collaboration with episcopal conferences and religious congregations are key.”
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Crux is dedicated to smart, wired and independent reporting on the Vatican and worldwide Catholic Church. That kind of reporting doesn’t come cheap, and we need your support. You can help Crux by giving a small amount monthly, or with a onetime gift. Please remember, Crux is a for-profit organization, so contributions are not tax-deductible.
ローマ発-ペルーを拠点とするカトリック信徒団体「 Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV)」が性的虐待を含む虐待行為を広範に行っていたとして、教皇フランシスコから活動停止処分を受けたが、被害者たちは、その後、現地裁判所が出したSCV関連企業の行為を不当する判断などを評価する一方で、カトリック教会の司法面での対応の遅さと組織的な意思疎通の欠如を批判している。
同国のカトリック信徒、ルイス・フェルナンド・フィガリが設立した信徒団体「 Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV)」は今年初め、教皇フランシスコが亡くなる直前に、活動停止処分を受けた。バチカンで性的虐待問題を担当する教理省のシクルナ大司教による徹底した現地調査の結果をもとに、この信徒団体の本部と支部全ての活動を停止させるという異例の決定だった。各支部で発覚した虐待の中には、会員の身体的、心理的、精神的、さらには性的虐待も含まれており、その中には未成年者として虐待を受けた者も含まれていた。
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教皇レオ14世が5日、バチカン未成年者・弱者保護委員会(Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors)の新委員長にティボー・ヴェルニー大司教を任命した。ヴェルニー大司教の委員長任命は、カトリック教会における性的虐待がもたらしている危機への対応に関して、新教皇が下した最初の主要な決定の一つとなる。
*「カトリック・あい」注*Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minorsの日本語訳として、日本の教会では”minors”を「未成年」に限定するような訳を使うことがあるようですが、つまり、「子供に対する性的虐待は絶対にいけないが、大人に対しては・・」と言うように誤解する向きもあり、それが日本の司教団の対応の甘さにもつながっているようにも思われます。”minors”は未成年者とともに「社会で弱い立場に置かれている人、身体的あるいは精神的に弱い成人」も意味して使われることが多い。オマリー前委員長も「子供たち、弱い立場にある成人・・・」と言われています。「カトリック・あい」では、今後もこのような日本語訳を使用し、”誤解”が司教団の今後の対応に影響しないようにいたします。
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Crux is dedicated to smart, wired and independent reporting on the Vatican and worldwide Catholic Church. That kind of reporting doesn’t come cheap, and we need your support. You can help Crux by giving a small amount monthly, or with a onetime gift. Please remember, Crux is a for-profit organization, so contributions are not tax-deductible.