Pope Leo’s address to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
Consistory Hall – Monday, 16 March 2026
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.
Welcome, brothers and sisters,
My predecessor, Pope Francis, wanted to permanently incorporate your service into the Roman Curia to remind the entire Church that preventing abuse is essential part of mission, not an optional part.
Since my election, I have been greatly encouraged by the dialogue you have fostered with the Disciplinary Section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Through this dialogue, you are achieving the desired goal of uniting the prevention efforts under your responsibility and the vigilant discipline exercised by that Dicastery in a synergistic and effective manner.
Your mission is to help prevent abuse.
However, prevention is never just a set of protocols or procedures.
Prevention requires fostering a culture of care throughout the Church, where protecting minors and vulnerable individuals is seen as a natural expression of faith, not an outside obligation.
Therefore, prevention requires a process of conversion in which we hear the suffering of others and are moved to take action.
In this regard, the experiences of victims and survivors are essential reference points.
Though painful and difficult to hear, these experiences reveal the truth powerfully and teach us humility as we strive to support victims and survivors.
At the same time, recognizing the pain suffered paves the way for hope and renewal.
Another important aspect of your service involves taking a multidisciplinary and systematic approach.
As part of the Roman Curia within the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, your role is clear.
You engage in dialogue with the dicasteries and other institutions responsible for various protection-related areas.
I expect you to cooperate more closely with these institutions, allowing them to contribute their knowledge to your work.
At the same time, they can also benefit from the experience that the Commission’s eleven years of service, particularly from the attentive and sincere listening you offer victims, survivors, and their families.
In this regard, the Commission’s annual report is a valuable tool.
It exemplifies truth, responsibility, hope, and prudence, all of which must go hand in hand for the good of the Church.
Hope prevents us from becoming discouraged, and prudence keeps us from being careless and superficial when addressing the prevention of abuse.
Ordinaries and major superiors have their own responsibilities that cannot be delegated.
Every ecclesial community and institution must demonstrate its commitment to listening to and supporting victims.
I encourage you to continue serving as a resource for these communities, ensuring that none feel alone in this task.
The help you offer through your ‘Memorare Initiative’ is invaluable.
Note: The ‘Memorare Initiative’ was stablished around 2022-2023, focuses on building a “network of solidarity” to train pastoral workers, create reporting mechanisms, and provide assistance to victims of abuse).
Supporting local churches, especially those lacking resources or expertise, is a concrete expression of ecclesial solidarity.
I look forward to receiving additional information in your third annual report on the progress that has already been made, and the areas requiring further development.
The Commission’s engagement with the Church at every level, with victims, survivors and their families, and civil society partners at every level has prompted you to deepen your study of two rapidly developing areas of safeguarding: the concept of vulnerability in relation to abuse, and the prevention of technology-facilitated abuse of minors in the digital space.
By recognizing these “signs of the times,” you enable the Church to address safeguarding challenges courageously and respond with pastoral clarity and structural renewal.
This is already taking concrete form in the development of a universal guideline framework.
I look forward to receiving the final proposal so that, after appropriate study and discernment, it can be published.
Dear friends,
Your efforts demonstrate that your mission is not merely the establishment of a formal process but rather a sign of communion and shared responsibility.
Before concluding, I would like to reiterate that protecting minors and vulnerable individuals is not an isolated area of ecclesial life.
Rather, it is a dimension that permeates pastoral care, formation, governance and discipline.
Every step forward on this journey brings us closer to Christ and to a more evangelical and authentic Church.
I entrust your service to the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church
As a pledge of wisdom and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ, I cordially impart my apostolic blessing. Thank you very much.
[Our Father, Blessing]
Thank you for your service. May you have a truly blessed encounter in Rome during these days.
Thank you for all you are doing to support the Church in its mission.
