Overview
- The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors says the Church has a moral duty to provide financial, psychological, and spiritual reparations and to impose tangible penalties on abusers and enablers.
- The report faults senior Church leaders for slow responses and for withholding information from victims about case handling and any sanctions against negligent bishops.
- It urges public explanations when bishops are removed over abuse or negligence and calls for simplified procedures to remove leaders whose actions or inaction caused further harm.
- Country audits highlight uneven cooperation and cultural resistance, noting that only 81 of Italy’s 226 dioceses answered the commission’s safeguarding questionnaire and that reporting barriers persist in parts of Africa and Asia.
- Capacity gaps include minimal safeguarding staffing at the Dicastery for Evangelization and very few cases reaching Rome, while recommendations propose safe listening centers, mandatory local reporting mechanisms, and targeted support through the Memorare Initiative.