Pope Leo XIV calls for continued commitment to the prevention of abuse

Pope Leo XIV asked this Monday to continue with the commitment to the prevention of abuse in the message sent to the participants in the meeting ‘Building communities that protect dignity’, promoted by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

The pontiff assured that the theme of the meeting, “how to build communities where the dignity of every person is protected and promoted, especially minors and the most vulnerable people” is something very close to his “heart”. “It is by taking responsibility for the lives of others that we learn true freedom, the kind that does not dominate but serves, does not possess but accompanies,” he wrote.

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Therefore, he added, “I value and encourage your commitment to share experiences and learnings on how to prevent all forms of abuse and how to be accountable, with truth and humility.” And I urge you “to continue with this commitment so that communities become more and more an example of trust and dialogue, where each person is respected, listened to and valued”. On November 8th, Leon XIV met for almost three hours with fifteen people from Belgium who were victims of abuse by the clergy when they were minors, in a meeting characterized by a “deep and painful” dialogue. This meeting follows the one that took place on October 20th, when Leo XIV received several members of the Global Survivors of Abuse (ECA) at the Vatican, an organization that represents people from more than 30 countries who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the clergy.