Pope receives report on protection in Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV has been presented with the annual report on policies and procedures for protection in the Catholic Church from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors XIV

The report was represented by Thibault Verny, the Archbishop of Chambéry, France, and president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors XIV, in the Vatican on Friday.

According to the Vatican, the encounter marks the first official meeting between the Pope and the Commission’s president, following Verny’s appointment on July 15.

The Commission’s Secretary, Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, accompanied Verny to the Vatican to present the report.

According to the Vatican, the audience was requested by Verny in order to personally express his gratitude to the Pope for the trust placed in him through the appointment, and to present the Second Annual Report on Policies and Procedures for Protection in the Church.

The report, established at the initiative of Pope Francis in 2022, aims to assess the safeguarding capacities of local Churches, offering practical recommendations based on the concrete experiences of various ecclesial regions.

During the meeting, the Commission President underscored the Commission’s commitment to continuing the mission entrusted to it by Pope Francis through Praedicate Evangelium, in the development of safeguarding policies, the drafting of the annual report, and support for local Churches through the Memorare Initiative.

“With humility and hope, the Commission continues the mission entrusted to us, advancing the Holy Father’s vision of rooting throughout the Church a culture of prevention that tolerates no form of abuse: neither of power or authority, nor of conscience or spirituality, nor of sexual abuse,” Verny stated.