The Church’s priorities with regard to the prevention of child abuse “are the same as ever” says Cardinal Seán O’Malley: “We’re trying to put the victims and their families first.”
The Cardinal was speaking on the eve of an audience with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday with members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Following that audience on Thursday morning, the Commission issued a statement noting that the audience, its first with Pope Leo, lasted an hour and marked a significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewed commitment by the Church to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable persons.
"With humility and hope, we continue the mission first entrusted to us by Pope Francis in Praedicate Evangelium: to advise the Supreme Pontiff in the development and promotion of universal safeguarding standards and to accompany the Church in building a culture of accountability, justice, and compassion," the statement reads.
In an interview with Vatican News, Cardinal O'Malley, Archbishop emeritus of Boston and one of the founders of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, highlights the need for transparency, a sense of responsibility, and education as priorities for the Church in its continuing efforts to address the issue of the abuse of minors and vulnerable persons.
Cardinal O’Malley says it is important for people to realize that “the Church, by our very mission, needs to be an expression of God’s love and mercy, and therefore the care and protection of children and young people needs to be central in our mission.”
He insists that people will only listen to the Church’s message “if they are convinced that we care about them. We care about their children. We care about the safety of their children.”