French Archbishop Thibault Verny is the new President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minorsby choice of the Pope Leo XIV. The prelate replaces Cardinal Sean O'Malley and comes with experience in this field, since he was in charge of the fight against sexual crimes against minors in the French Episcopal Conference.
Archbishop Verny dedicated some of his first words to his predecessor. The new President thanked the Cardinal for his "courageous and prophetic leadership" that "has left an indelible mark not only on the Church, but on society as a whole".
Archbishop Verny and the fight against abuse
O'Malley, the archbishop said, "has strongly defended the primacy of listening to the voices of abuse survivors, giving them space to be heard, believed and accompanied in their search for truth, justice, healing and meaningful institutional reform." For all these reasons, he concludes, "his legacy is one of courageous fidelity to the Gospel and to the dignity of every human person."
For his part, the Cardinal highlighted Archbishop Verny's "dedication to the prevention of abuse in the life of the Church," noting "his important contributions to the work of the Commission" and his "years of deep experience working with law enforcement, other civil authorities and Church leaders to ensure accountability for serious failures in the Church in France." In addition, O'Malley called it "a blessing for all people that Pope Leo has entrusted the leadership of the Commission to the Archbishop."
Commission Priorities
The new President of the Commission also referred to the Pontiff, thanking him for his confidence and accepting his charge to "help the Church to be ever more vigilant, responsible and compassionate in her mission to protect the most vulnerable among us."
Finally, Archbishop Verny said that, under his mandate, the work of the Commission "will focus on supporting the Churches, especially those that are still struggling to implement adequate safeguarding measures. We will promote subsidiarity and the equitable sharing of resources so that all parts of the Church, regardless of their geographical location or circumstances, can maintain the highest standards of safeguarding."
