(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 03.28.2025).- Pope Francis has issued a strong call for the Catholic Church to move beyond treating child protection as a reactionary measure and instead embed it as a fundamental part of Church culture. In a message released on March 25, he addressed members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM), emphasizing that safeguarding efforts should not be a crisis-driven response but a structural commitment.
«Prevention of abuse is not a blanket to be pulled out in times of emergency but one of the foundations on which to build communities faithful to the Gospel,» the pope wrote to the participants of the PCPM’s Plenary Assembly, held from March 24 to 28.
Francis praised the commission’s work, particularly in ensuring protection for children and vulnerable individuals in marginalized communities. However, he stressed that their role must go beyond simply drafting and implementing protocols.
«Their mission is to promote safeguards: education that informs, oversight that prevents, listening that restores dignity. By embedding preventive measures even in the most remote communities, they are making a promise—that every child, every vulnerable person, will find safety within the Church,» the pope wrote.
He urged the commission to expand collaboration with the Vatican’s Roman Curia and foster an environment where victims and survivors are welcomed and supported in their healing process, following the example of the Good Samaritan.
Francis also underscored the need for the Church to work alongside external institutions, including civil authorities, experts, and advocacy groups, to establish a universal standard of child protection. «Safeguarding must become a universal language,» he stated.
The PCPM, created by Pope Francis in 2014, became formally integrated into the Roman Curia in 2022 under the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Over the past decade, the commission has worked to establish a security framework within the Church.
«Keep going! Be watchful sentinels while the world sleeps. May the Holy Spirit, the master of living memory, protect us from the temptation to archive pain instead of healing it,» the pope concluded in his message, which was signed on March 20 while he was still hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
In a significant development, the PCPM released its first annual report at the Vatican on October 29, 2024. The document highlights the need for a more efficient and transparent process for removing clergy members found guilty of abuse, as well as for streamlining compensation procedures for victims.
«The report stresses the importance of a simplified dismissal process, ensuring a clear and effective path for the resignation or removal of Church officials when necessary,» the findings state.
Pope Francis’ latest message reaffirms his commitment to holding the Church accountable and making child protection a non-negotiable priority. His call for proactive safeguarding measures signals a crucial step toward restoring trust and ensuring a safe environment for future generations.
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