KRAKOW (OSV News): The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors wrapped up its five-day plenary in Kraków, Poland, and is set to release its second annual report on October 16.
It’s “much better than the first,” said adjunct secretary, Teresa Kettelkamp, noting stronger statistical data and a focus on survivors. The 2025 report will examine reparations and include new external data sources. The commission finalised the draft of its long-awaited Universal Guidelines Framework, expected to be published in early 2026.
“We are recommending that the principles are mandatory. And the first principle is Church leadership,” Kettelkamp said, emphasising bishops’ accountability in safeguarding.
The commission’s new president, Archbishop Thibault Verny of Chambéry, France, urged “a renewed commitment to safeguarding as a core expression of the Church’s identity and mission,” PCPM said in an October 3 statement.
Kettelkamp added, “You will see a better awareness if the bishops sat down with survivors and heard their stories,” It’s “important to listen to victims and survivors hear what they have to say,” she said. “They sometimes don’t want anything. They just want you to listen.”
Pope Leo XIV met with the commission early in his pontificate, signaling strong support.
