Pope Francis appoints ten new members to the Pontifical Commission for Minors

 (For Immediate Release October 3, 2022) 

Pope Francis has appointed ten new members to the Pontifical Commission for minors. The seven women and three men join the nine other members who have been reappointed, as well as one member who was appointed for a three-year term last year. However, despite these new appointments and the inclusion of the Commission in the Curia, survivors see little change in the way victims are treated by the Catholic Church.

We would be more impressed if the Church opened its books and publicly identified those who prey on children and adults. Removing all perpetrators from ministry permanently and handing all information on these cases over to secular authorities would have a greater effect on the scandal, in our opinion.

True reform would also include the Church doing more to assist survivors. Funding for counseling and other critical services should be made available to victims rather than paying lobbyists who advocate for keeping the courthouse doors closed to survivors. 

It is critical to remember that the Catholic Church has landed at this juncture as a result of gutsy survivors speaking out, organizations mobilizing and supporting victims, great reporters communicating the truth, and investigative government agencies identifying criminal acts. Without the efforts of civil society, Church officials might have continued unabated recycling abusers and moving them to unsuspecting populations. 

For more than 30 years, survivors have pounded on the Church's door, requesting help for survivors as well as the ouster of predators, as well as the individuals who defend them. It is past time for Catholic officials to understand this message. 

CONTACT:  Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)  Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

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