The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, the body established by Pope Francis in 2014 to coordinate and promote the efforts of the universal Church against abuse, published its annual report this Thursday, which highlights various examples of good practices implemented in different regions of the world.
The document, presented in Rome, highlights progress in prevention, reparation and support for victims, recognizing local experiences that seek to “create a global culture of safeguarding within the Church.”
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Spain: the Repara project and the collaboration between the EEC and CONFER
Among the exemplary cases, the report highlights the Repara Project, an initiative promoted by the Archdiocese of Madrid that offers psychological, spiritual and legal support to victims of abuse. The commission values the comprehensive approach of the project, which combines personalized attention, prevention and reparation, in addition to promoting spaces for listening and dialogue within the ecclesial community.
The document also highlights the collaboration established in Spain between the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE) and the Spanish Conference of Religious (CONFER), which has allowed the creation of a common framework of safeguard policies. This agreement has favored, according to the report, the systematic training of ecclesiastical personnel, the creation of protection offices in dioceses and congregations, and the promotion of a national network dedicated to addressing and repairing past abuses.
Germany: compensation and recognition of suffering
In the case of Germany, the Pontifical Commission recognizes as a model the system of reparation and economic compensation established by the local Church, which offers compensation to affected people along with an explicit recognition of the suffering caused.
The report specifies that all German dioceses, along with some 70 religious orders (out of a total of approximately 100 with known cases), participate in this mechanism. Average compensation ranges between 25,000 and 30,000 euros, while around 10% of beneficiaries have received compensation ranging between 150,000 and 250,000 euros. Altogether, the total amount of compensation amounts to around 40 million euros.
Slovakia: efficient complaints reception offices
Another example highlighted in the report comes from Slovakia, where the Episcopal Conference has created a national complaints reception office that functions as a permanent structure in diocesan curias.
According to the report, this measure is fully in line with the motu proprio You are the light of the worldpromulgated by Pope Francis in 2019, which establishes universal norms to prevent and punish sexual and power abuses in the Church.
The Vatican emphasizes that, in many cases, these offices are staffed by lay people, which “reduces the fear of disclosure of the identity of victims or survivors,” a particularly sensitive concern in Slovak culture.
Africa: the “Catholic Care for Children in Kenya” project
On the African continent, the report recognizes the coordinated efforts of the Religious Women’s Associations of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Malawi, which through the “Catholic Care for Children in Kenya” program have promoted reforms in the care of minors and vulnerable people.
This initiative, the text explains, seeks to “move from an institutional model to a care system based on family and community, offering comprehensive support that promotes dignity, inclusion and educational support for children in vulnerable situations.”
The report also recognizes the complementary role of the Church in Africa in education and health, noting that its networks of schools and hospitals “constitute solid support for government efforts to offer quality social services to citizens.”
Focolare Movement: new procedures against abuse
A special section of the report is dedicated to the Focolare Movement, one of the ecclesiastical realities with the largest lay presence in the world – with some two million members in 182 countries – which has recently adopted new procedures for processing cases of abuse.
The Vatican praises the operational document Procedures for the management of cases of abuse in the Focolare Movement, which came into force on March 1, 2025, which obliges this ecclesial group to refer all complaints to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
The commission also welcomes the publication of the 2022 and 2023 annual reports on cases of sexual and authority abuse within the Focolare, as well as new safeguarding training guidelines and communication policies aimed at transparency and prevention.
Italy: the Archdiocese of Florence has verification protocols in cases of transfer of clergy
Finally, the report recognizes the efforts of the Archdiocese of Florence in Italy, which has decided to allocate specific funds for safeguarding within its archdiocesan budget.
In addition, the bishops of the Tuscan region follow the guidelines of the Italian Episcopal Conference regarding the background checks of foreign priests who come to serve in their dioceses. The Pontifical Commission especially values the practice of formal agreements between sending and receiving bishops, which include the exchange of standardized documentation to guarantee suitability and transparency in clergy transfers.
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all Vatican news for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa y Omega.