The Vatican’s child protection commission issued its annual report on Thursday, criticizing senior Catholic leaders for their slow response in aiding victims of clergy sexual abuse and rolling out global safeguarding initiatives. The Catholic Church, with 1.4 billion members worldwide, has been grappling with abuse scandals and cover-ups for years, eroding its trust and resulting in substantial financial settlements. The report highlighted the church leaders’ failure to update victims on the progress of their abuse reports or disclose any actions taken against negligent bishops. Additionally, the commission faced challenges in obtaining information on safeguarding procedures, with the Italian church particularly lacking in transparency.
Victims’ feedback indicated dissatisfaction with the church’s approach, citing inadequate settlements and a lack of genuine engagement with survivors. Established by Pope Francis in 2014, the commission, now under Pope Leo XIV’s leadership, released its most comprehensive report to date, covering 2024 and critiquing church leadership without specific names. The primary focus was on compensating abuse survivors and evaluating safeguarding measures in 22 countries and a Vatican department overseeing operations in developing nations.
The report scrutinized the Dicastery for Evangelization, noting a shortage of staff dedicated to safeguarding and organizational inefficiencies that could impede investigations. It singled out Italy for its poor collaboration with the commission, as only 81 out of 226 dioceses responded to a safeguarding questionnaire, contrasting with South Korea’s full participation. Despite Pope Francis’ efforts to address clergy abuse during his papacy, the Vatican faced criticism for its lack of transparency regarding bishop dismissals related to abuse or cover-ups.
Survivors urged for a more stringent approach, advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy for accused priests. The report underscored the necessity of publicly disclosing reasons for bishops’ resignations or removals in abuse cases. It also highlighted resource deficiencies in parts of Central and South America, Africa, and Asia, affecting the support available to abuse survivors in those regions.