JUST IN: Pope Signs Motu Proprio, Law, and Guidelines for Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults for the Vatican City State
New Law Goes Into Effect June 1
Pope Francis has signed three documents on “the protection of minors and vulnerable adults’ for the Vatican City State, which mark–according to Vatican Press Office Director, Alessandro Gisotti–the first important step following the February 21-24 Summit in the Vatican on the Protection of Minors.
The Summit had brought together the presidents of the national bishops’ conferences worldwide, and had anticipated three immediate action steps: (1) the publishing of a motu proprio on the protection of minors for the Vatican City State (that just published today), (2) an anti-abuse ‘vademecum’ for the Universal Church, to explain in a Q & A to bishops clearly how to address cases of abuse and react accordingly, and (3) to create ‘task forces’ to help dioceses around the world that may need help in implementing the appropriate measures to protect minors.
This afternoon, the Vatican spokesman, issued a statement announcing the three documents “being published that respond to the concrete demands expressed by the People of God to address the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors.”
All three documents – the laws on the protection of minors in Vatican City State, the Motu proprio which applies the norms to the Roman Curia, and the Guidelines for the Vicariate of Vatican City –, he noted, are acts to “reinforce the protection of minors by strengthening the normative framework.”
The Holy Father, he expressed, hopes everyone might develop in their awareness that the Church must always be ever increasingly a safe home for children and vulnerable persons.
Below is the full text of Alessandro Gisotti’s statement:
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A month after the conclusion of the Meeting on the Protection of Minors held in the Vatican, a meeting greatly desired by Pope Francis, three very significant documents are being published that respond to the concrete demands expressed by the People of God to address the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors. Announced this past February 24, this is the first important step following the summit of the Episcopal Conferences.
Significantly, all three documents – the laws on the protection of minors in Vatican City State, the Motu proprio which applies the norms to the Roman Curia, and the Guidelines for the Vicariate of Vatican City – are signed by the Holy Father. Together, these acts reinforce the protection of minors by strengthening the normative framework.
The Holy Father hopes that – thanks also to these norms which pertain to Vatican City State and to the Roman Curia – everyone might develop in their awareness that the Church must always be ever increasingly a safe home for children and vulnerable persons.
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