Key points
- Pope Leo XIV has appointed French Archbishop Thibault Verny to chair the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which combats sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
- Thibault Verny has considerable experience in this field, having initiated the creation of the Independent Commission for the Investigation of Sexual Crimes in France and plans to scale his initiatives globally.
Pope Leo XVI and Archbishop Thibaut Verny / Facebook
Pope Leo XIV has appointed French Archbishop Thibault Verny as the new president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, a key body in the fight against sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.
Thibault Verny is known for his active participation in the fight against sexual abuse in the church and the protection of victims in court cases, Channel 24 reports, citing Vatican News.
Pope appoints new president of pontifical commission for protection of minors
Thibault Verny already has considerable experience in this area: in France, he was one of the initiators of the creation of the Independent Commission for the Investigation of Sexual Crimes in the Church, as well as the body that dealt with compensation for victims. He also took an active part in supporting victims in their interactions with civil and judicial authorities.
With his new appointment, Verny will also receive the title of cardinal. His ambition is to scale up what he has developed in France to a global level. The plan is to unite church structures from different countries involved in the protection of children into a single network to coordinate actions.
“The priorities will be to continue the work already presented in the annual report, initiatives in countries that need them, and support for the Churches in welcoming and accompanying victims through the “Memorare” project. The guidelines will be published shortly. They contain recommendations for the accompaniment and protection of minors,” Thibaut Verny commented on his appointment.
The issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has been a hot topic for many years. High-profile investigations in the United States, France, Australia, Chile and other countries have exposed thousands of crimes. Pope Francis, Leo XIV’s predecessor, has met with victims and held special meetings with bishops in an attempt to change the culture of silence around these crimes in the Church.
