Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV on Friday welcomed Archbishop Thibault Verny of Chambéry, the newly appointed President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, for an official audience at the Apostolic Palace. The meeting, also attended by Commission Secretary Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, marked Archbishop Verny’s first formal encounter with the Pope since his appointment on July 15. At the heart of the gathering was the presentation of the Commission’s Second Annual Report on Policies and Procedures for Protection in the Church, a document designed to evaluate safeguarding practices and promote a stronger culture of prevention across Catholic communities worldwide.
The annual report an initiative first launched under Pope Francis in 2022 serves as a comprehensive review of how local Churches are responding to the urgent need for safeguarding policies. It compiles data, highlights challenges, and sets out recommendations based on lived experiences from diverse ecclesial regions. In handing the report to Pope Leo XIV, Archbishop Verny emphasized that the work is not merely administrative but pastoral, aimed at ensuring that every diocese, parish, and religious institution commits fully to safeguarding minors and vulnerable persons. “With humility and hope,” the Archbishop stated, “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.”
The Commission, established to guide the Church’s global safeguarding framework, operates under the reforming vision of Praedicate Evangelium, the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Francis that restructured the Roman Curia. Archbishop Verny reaffirmed the body’s determination to uphold this mandate by strengthening policies, improving accountability, and supporting dioceses through initiatives such as the Memorare Project, which provides guidance and training for local Churches in implementing safeguarding measures. Bishop Alí Herrera, who has long been involved in pastoral care and safeguarding efforts in Latin America, underscored the Commission’s commitment to offering practical assistance rather than abstract recommendations.
The Pope, who received the report with evident attention, expressed gratitude for the Commission’s work and encouraged its leaders to continue fostering a climate of transparency and trust within the Church. The encounter symbolized both continuity and renewal: continuity with the safeguarding priorities set in recent years, and renewal through the appointment of new leadership tasked with bringing energy and credibility to one of the most sensitive missions in contemporary Catholic life.
The presentation of the safeguarding report comes at a time when the Church continues to face scrutiny worldwide regarding its handling of abuse cases. By reinforcing structures of prevention and accountability, the Commission seeks not only to protect minors but also to rebuild confidence among the faithful, ensuring that the Church remains a safe place for all. As Archbishop Verny concluded, the task is ongoing: “This mission is not one of words alone but of concrete action sowing the seeds of a future where dignity is respected, trust is rebuilt, and every child of God is safe.”