Vatican Centralizes Safeguarding Monitoring in New Child Protection Commission Statute

Cardinal Pietro Parolin today published the new statute of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, the Vatican body dedicated to safeguarding minors and vulnerable persons from abuse. The 14-article statute was approved by Pope Leo XIV 'ad experimentum' for three years from 20 May 2026.
Among its notable provisions:
• The Commission is tasked with preparing an annual report on the Church's safeguarding policies and initiatives, which will be submitted to the Pope and may be published annually with his consent.
• It assists bishops, episcopal conferences, Eastern Catholic Churches, and religious institutes in developing and updating safeguarding guidelines and reporting systems.
• It promotes accessible mechanisms for reporting abuse and encourages the establishment of support centers where victims can receive spiritual, medical, therapeutic, and psychological assistance.
• In cases of repeated violations or serious deficiencies in local reporting systems, the Commission …More