By Salvatore Cernuzio
“Welcome and listen to victims, heed the truth, and prevent abuse, to ensure that the Church becomes more and more a safe home.”
Archbishop Thibault Verny, President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, offered that summary of the Commission’s mission at the start of its Plenary Assembly.
The assembly takes place on Sep 30 to Oct 3 at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow—the place where Pope St John Paul II prayed that God’s love might spread “in a world full of violence and uncertainty”—in the Archdiocese once shepherded by Karol Wojtyła, the late Polish Pope.
Since its establishment in 2014, this marks the first time a plenary session of the Commission has met outside Rome.
At the same time, it marks a return to Poland, where four years ago the Commission, in collaboration with the Polish episcopate, organized an important international conference in Warsaw on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults for the Churches of Central and Eastern Europe.
Continuing the synodal path of protection begun with the Polish Church in 2021 inspired the choice of Poland again. The meeting opened at the Shrine of Łagiewniki, a national symbol, the burial place of St Faustina Kowalska, and a destination for millions of pilgrims from around the world each year.
Protecting children and the vulnerable
“We have come here today in the footsteps of thousands of men and women of faith, following the path pointed out to us by St John Paul II. We have come to entrust the concerns of the Church and humanity to the Merciful Christ,” Archbishop Verny said in his address at the end of the opening Mass, which was presided by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski.
The French-born Archbishop recalled the Commission’s service over the past eleven years—first to Pope Francis, who established it to combat the scourge of abuse in the Church, and now to his successor, Pope Leo XIV.
The Commission’s mission, he stressed, is “to protect children and vulnerable persons and, in doing so, to proclaim the Gospel through our actions and our way of being with them.”
This commitment, he added, “necessarily involves listening to local Churches, being present with them, walking with them, encouraging and supporting them.”
Supporting local Churches
Thanks to its Memorare Initiative, which provides training and resources worldwide, the Commission chose Krakow as the venue for this plenary assembly—a sign of its closeness to local faith communities.
“This is a concrete demonstration of our desire to walk with you in this synodal journey of protection,” said Archbishop Verny. “The stakes are high for all of us: to welcome and listen to victims, to heed the truth, and to prevent abuse, so that the Church may truly become a safe home.”
The Commission pursues these goals through the gradual implementation of universal safeguarding guidelines in every local Church.
This requires practical support, provided through Memorare, which trains people in various countries to implement safeguarding policies and to respond to complaints, offering care to victims, their families, and their communities.
“All these efforts are measured, evaluated, and made public in the Commission’s annual report,” Archbishop Verny explained. “I am pleased to announce that we will soon publish our second annual report,” he added, recalling his Sep 12 audience with Pope Leo XIV, when he presented the report on safeguarding policies and procedures in the Church (the first was published on Oct 29, 2024).
John Paul II’s prayer
At the conclusion of his address, Archbishop Verny echoed the words of St John Paul II, who prayed at the shrine that “the world might experience God’s merciful love” as a “source of hope” amid suffering.
“Eternal God… look kindly upon us and increase your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we may not despair or grow discouraged, but with great confidence may submit ourselves to your holy will,” he prayed.
The work ahead
All members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors are present in Krakow.
Alongside experts—both lay and consecrated—some members are themselves survivors of abuse.
They will meet until Friday in closed plenary sessions, with several public moments also planned.
During the week, the Commission will meet with Polish bishops. A press release on the work of the assembly will be issued at the end of the sessions. – Vatican News
