Vatican City, Oct 10, 2023 / 11:00 am
The Vatican’s safeguarding commission has called on the Synod on Synodality to make sexual abuse “an explicit part” of discussions during the October assembly.
The group also condemned “harmful deficiencies in the norms intended to punish abusers” related to recent public cases and a lack of accountability by those responsible for punishing wrongdoing in the Church.
A copy of the message from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) was shared with every synod participant on Oct. 9.
The letter was originally published by the commission Sept. 27, three days before a consistory to create 21 new cardinals and one week before the start of the monthlong synod assembly going on now through Oct. 29.