The Pope commissions an annual report on sexual abuse of minors in the Church

The Pope, during his meeting with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, this week.VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT (EFE)

Periodic control and accountability in the fight against child abuse represents one of the fundamental elements to change the dynamics of recent decades.

And the Pope, who in recent years has promoted a historic turn in the battle of the victims, added pressure to the Church on this matter this Friday morning.

Francis met with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors - a body established by the Pontiff himself to lay the foundations for the prevention of abuse and which is already part of the Roman Curia - an annual report that contains the state in question of the pederasty, the initiatives of the Church to prevent abuse and the elements that should be modified so that the relevant authorities can take action,

The annual report represents another turning point in the fight against abuse since a special synod dedicated to the matter was held in February 2019.

A document of this type, explained the Pontiff, will be a factor of "transparency and responsibility and will offer clear information" on the state of the matter.

"If there is no progress, the faithful will continue to lose confidence in their pastors, which will make the proclamation and testimony of the Gospel more and more difficult," he predicted.

In addition, said report will have an added value to know "what is happening and what needs to change, so that the competent authorities can act".

Francis has also demanded that "transparency" from the dioceses, although he acknowledged that this can be a "difficult task at first."

Changes are slow in this matter, especially from the perspective of the victims, who have spent years demanding truth and justice.

But taking into account that the unit of measurement of the universal Church is the century, in recent years there has been a radical transformation in the approach of the clergy to this issue.

The Pope himself has underlined it in the meeting with the members of the commission.

“The seeds sown are beginning to bear fruit”, he assured.

"The incidence of child abuse by the clergy has shown a decline for several years in those parts of the world where reliable data and resources are available," he assured at the audience that concluded this week his plenary assembly of bishops Spanish people.

“Minors are safer today in the Church”

A key element is coordination between organizations such as the Vatican Commission for the Protection of Minors and the dioceses of each country.

Also the materialization of the annual conclusions in concrete measures.

That is why he stressed that this body should "supervise, in dialogue with the episcopal conferences, the creation of special centers in which people who have suffered abuse and their families can find shelter and listen and be accompanied on a path of healing and justice. ”.

In the same way, he has praised his work by pointing out that "minor and vulnerable people are safer today in the Church."

In his speech to the members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, he assured that the victims' "path to healing" "is long and difficult" while condemning that "abuse, in all its forms , It is unacceptable".

“The sexual abuse of children is especially serious because it offends life when it is flourishing.

Instead of thriving, the abused person is left hurt, sometimes indelibly”, he has stated.

The Pope has revealed the content of a letter he received from a father whose son was abused by a priest and could not leave his room for many years, dragging the consequences of the abuse.

“Battered people sometimes feel caught between life and death.

They are realities that we cannot eliminate, no matter how painful they are”, the Pope said.

Francis also highlighted the reasons that made him include in the Apostolic Constitution

promulgated last month, the Commission in question within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: “It was placed there because it was not possible to have a “satellite commission ”, that would go around but not be linked to the organization chart”.

[...].

“It is there, but with its own president appointed by the Pope and you will continue to report to me”, he pointed out, underlining his independence.