Intervento di S.E. Mons. Thibault Verny
Intervento della Dott.ssa Maud de Boer-Buquicchio
Alle ore 11.30, di oggi, presso la Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, Via della Conciliazione, 54, ha avuto luogo la Conferenza Stampa di presentazione del secondo Rapporto Annuale sulle Politiche e le Procedure della Chiesa per la Tutela, della Pontificia Commissione per la Tutela dei Minori.
Sono intervenuti: S.E. Mons. Thibault Verny, Arcivescovo di Chambéry, Vescovo di Saint-Jean-de- Maurienne e Tarentaise; Presidente della Pontificia Commissione per la Tutela dei Minori; S.E. Mons. Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, Vescovo titolare di Giubalziana; Segretario della Pontificia Commissione per la Tutela dei Minori; la Dott.ssa Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, giurista, incaricata del Rapporto Annuale; il Prof. Benyam Dawit Mezmur, giurista, membro della Pontificia Commissione per la Tutela dei Minori.
Era presente: Teresa Morris Kettelkamp, Segretaria aggiunta della Pontificia Commissione per la Tutela dei Minori.
Pubblichiamo di seguito alcuni interventi:
Intervento di S.E. Mons. Thibault Verny
Il me revient l’honneur de présenter le deuxième rapport annuel de la Commission pontificale pour la protection des mineurs en tant que nouveau président.
Comme je l’ai mentionné lors de ma nomination le 5 juillet dernier, j’assume ma nouvelle mission avec humilité au regard des souffrances et des enjeux, et aussi avec gratitude envers le Saint-Père, le. Pape Leon XIV, pour sa confiance. Permettez-moi également d'exprimer ma profonde reconnaissance envers Son Éminence le cardinal Seán O'Malley. Le cardinal a dirigé notre commission pendant ces dix dernières années avec détermination, courage et sincérité à chaque étape. Je me joins à nos membres et à notre personnel, passés et présents, pour lui adresser ensemble nos vifs remerciements !
Au nom de notre Commission, je tiens également à remercier de manière appuyée toutes les personnes victimes et survivants qui, depuis de nombreuses années, nous ont confié leur expérience et nous font confiance. Cette confiance nous engage : c'est avec reconnaissance que nous avons toujours cherché à tenir compte de leur parole et de les associer dans notre mission. Comme vous le constaterez, il s'agit là d'un point déterminant du rapport annuel que nous présentons aujourd'hui.
En marchant aux côtés des victimes et survivants, nous avons acquis la conviction profonde que la route qui conduit à une culture de protection ne se fait pas simplement pour les victimes et survivants, mais avec eux. Ce chemin de conversion exige que nous soyons atteints par ce que nous entendons. Aussi, la Commission a à cœur de dire aux victimes et survivants: «nous voulons être à vos côtés.»
Enfin, je tiens à remercier toutes les personnes présentes aujourd'hui, y compris celles qui nous suivent en ligne à travers le monde. Votre présence et votre attention à l'égard de la Commission témoignent de l’existence, de l’importance et de la croissance d’une prise en charge globale des sujets liés à la protection des mineurs et des personnes vulnérables.
S'engager dans une mission d'écoute et dans une démarche plus large de protection nécessite pour l'Église d’être professionnellement équipée et de suivre des cadres clairement explicités en matière de protection. Nos mesures de prévention et d'accompagnement des victimes et survivants doivent être soutenues par des structures stables, accessibles et tenant compte des traumatismes. C’est un travail de tout le peuple de Dieu qui s’inscrit aussi dans nos sociétés.
Comme il l’a été demandé à notre Commission, le rapport annuel est conçu « pour fournir un compte rendu fiable de ce qui est actuellement fait et de ce qui doit changer, afin que les autorités compétentes puissent agir ». En tant que tel, le rapport annuel se veut être un outil qui accompagne la mission de protection de l'Église. Il est important de noter que le rapport annuel tient compte de la subsidiarité. Nous désirons en effet accompagner les autorités ecclésiastiques - évêques, supérieurs majeurs et responsables laïcs - dans leurs missions, dans le renforcement des moyens de protection et dans la promotion de normes communes à toutes les cultures.
Comme évêque, comme baptisé, je sais que lorsque nous rendons compte de la vérité par l’écoute des victimes et survivants, quand nous prenons soin des personnes blessées en les accompagnant, quand nous prenons soin des plus fragiles en travaillant pour la prévention, alors nous sommes au cœur de notre mission et nous participons à rendre la Bonne Nouvelle audible.
Le deuxième rapport annuel qui vous est présenté aujourd’hui est le fruit d’un travail effectué par toute une équipe. Je tiens à remercier chacun de ses auteurs pour l’énergie déployée, pour le professionnalisme et le résultat. En particulier Maud Buquicchio et Stefano Mattei associés à tous les experts régionaux.
Dans chaque édition du rapport annuel, nous partageons les bonnes pratiques, réfléchissons aux défis persistants et discernons les changements nécessaires à mener. Chemin faisant, nous aspirons à ce que l’Eglise soit toujours plus une maison qui protège.
Puisse ce deuxième rapport annuel y contribuer avec l’aide de tous. Je vous remercie.
[01347-FR.01] [Texte original: Français]
Intervento della Dott.ssa Maud de Boer-Buquicchio
Today marks another decisive step forward in the Church’s journey towards transparency and accountability. With the release of our Second Annual Report we offer further guidance on fostering a culture of safeguarding. This work is rooted in Conversional Justice: a transformation of conscience and commitment, made evident through action.
It is my honor to speak to you as a Member of the Commission and Chair of the Annual Report Team. The Annual Report reflects the collective expertise of the Commission’s members and personnel – past and present. These are multi-disciplinary safeguarding professionals of the highest order. The Annual Report is the Commission’s best tool to share that knowledge with our key stakeholders and the public at large. This is crucial for our mandate to provide universal guidance in both prevention and response.
I wish to thank the media for its indispensable role in uplifting the voices of victims and survivors when the institutional Church has failed to listen. You serve as an irreplaceable ally. Thank you for being here today. Please continue your invaluable work as whistleblowers, in exposing abuse and demanding accountability.
Drawing from my experience at the Council of Europe and as UN Special Rapporteur I have learned that the impact of any report is determined by credible data and actionable recommendations.
Reliable data is at the heart of any accountability effort and its absence jeopardises our fight against the sexual abuse of children. That is why our Commission set out to devise a progressive methodology that presents increasingly verifiable data and practical guidance. In doing so, the Commission -- for its part – is also contributing to addressing the global gap in data on sexual violence against children. I noted this global data gap in 2018 as UN Special Rapporteur and I bring attention to it again today, in the specific context of the Church. It is alarming!
Our first report published last year -- and the feedback we received -- taught us the importance of broader inclusiveness in its preparation. This includes victims/survivors, the Church entities that we accompany, and organizations fully external to the Church.
Allow me to start with our inclusion of victims and survivors in this Annual Report. Listening to victims and survivors is the first step towards realizing a safer Church for our children. We owe an honest response to the countless victims and survivors -- known and unknown -- who have had the courage to sound the alarm on abuse, despite unimaginable obstacles. This Annual Report is a testament to the substantive role they have in the Commission’s work.
In our first report, published last year, we implemented a pilot Focus Group methodology in one of our regions. This was designed to ensure a victim-centered approach to the Annual Report, from its earliest developments. When we presented the pilot, the Commission openly recognized the need to give a much broader representation to this most important population. With the Second Annual Report, we have expanded the initial Focus Group to all four of our regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia-Oceania and Europe. The process included individual listening sessions -- guided by trained professionals -- with approximately 40 victim/survivor participants from around the world.
Detailed findings from these direct consultations are summarized in a dedicated section of this Report. However, I want to highlight one of the most consistent points that emerged: victims/survivors want to feel heard and validated in their experiences. As one participant said: “Taking victims/survivors at their word should be the default position”.
Their testimony especially provided input into our work on the concept of reparations. We have been able to compile an operational vademecum as the result of our study into this important pillar of Conversional Justice. We offer this as a practical tool to guide the Church. Our study clearly revealed that the Church must expand its understanding of reparations beyond financial compensation alone. A truly comprehensive approach to reparations includes: (1) welcome, listening and care; (2) public and private communications and apologies; (3) spiritual and psychotherapeutic support; (4) financial support; (5) institutional and disciplinary reforms; and (6) safeguarding initiatives across the ecclesial community. As one of our Focus Group participants stated: “They offered me $20,000, but all I wanted was an apology”. While only one individual’s perspective, I quote this participant’s testimony to stress the importance of dynamic and customized reparations to be responsive to victims’/survivors’ needs.
This Annual Report also develops a methodology using the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s database to flag and quote any reference to safeguarding or abuse in the Catholic Church. My colleague Professor Benyam Mezmur is best placed to describe this reporting mechanism in greater detail, given his first-hand experience as a member of that distinguished UN body.
In brief, this addition to the methodology for Section 1 allows us to present findings from the Committee’s review of individual countries, directly alongside our data from the bishops’ conferences in those same countries. This allows us to cross-reference our internal data with an independent and external source. This represents an important improvement in our data verification.
This Annual Report also further leverages the Church’s remarkable institutional architecture for its data collection. Called to closely accompany the local Churches -- while also bringing a non-native viewpoint -- the Apostolic Nuncios are uniquely positioned to provide a profoundly insightful perspective on the safeguarding challenges faced in a given country. This year, the Commission solicited input from the Apostolic Nunciatures in each of the countries covered in Section 1.
We are grateful to all those Church entities who committed to our Annual Report methodology with integrity and sincerity. Our synodal journey together has already been mutually enriching. I believe the document we publish today is reflective of that.
Amidst these positive developments in our methodology, we recommit ourselves to continuous improvement, knowing that we still fall short of a fully mature reporting instrument.
The Annual Report is an empowering tool for those who hope to join the growing choir of the Church’s safeguarding ministry. I ask you to engage in earnest with this text in the weeks and months to come. Let us grow in numbers and dedication, to usher in a true culture of care.
Today and in the days to come, I invite us to place ourselves in the shoes of children all around the world, yearning and deserving to be safe and cherished. A child’s sense of safety begins when we listen with our heart, not just our ears.
Let us walk together as children of the living God and not get weary.
[01348-EN.01] [Original text: English]
[B0761-XX.02]
