Vatican, Catholic Leaders from Europe Discuss Sexual Abuse in the Church

In a message to conference participants Nov. 13, Pope Francis said attendees’ “commitment to this cause [of safeguarding against abuse] is a sign of the Church’s continuing efforts to protect the most vulnerable in our midst.”

The pontiff wrote that he is praying for the conference, which he hopes will be “a source of fruitful insights” and that their exchanges “will contribute to a safer and more compassionate Church” and a “deeper commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults within the Church.”

“In a particular way, I encourage the initiatives made to provide comfort and assistance to those who have suffered as a sign of the Church’s concern for justice, healing, and reconciliation,” Francis said.

Annual report issued

At the end of October, the Vatican’s safeguarding commission issued its first annual report assessing the Catholic Church’s policies and procedures to prevent abuse in dioceses worldwide from Africa to Oceania.

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The report noted that in Europe, there are positive advances toward greater safeguarding frameworks and measures within the Church, with numerous good practices in place, but “the differences in response strategies between bishops and religious can present opportunities for growth and improvement.”

Under challenges, the report identified a lack of data on abuse prevalence in many countries, some frustration with the way cases are handled in the canonical system, and disparities between Western and Eastern Europe in the availability and quality of child-sensitive counseling and care for victims.

“In [European] nations that have experienced very complex crises or that have developed an in-depth public dialogue on abuses, there is a clear trend toward establishing more structured and responsive systems for dealing with abuse within the Church,” the report said.

Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.