Pope Leo takes first action to address abuse by Catholic clergy
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo on Saturday appointed a French archbishop as the new leader of the Vatican's commission on clergy sexual abuse, in the U.S. pontiff's first public move to confront an issue that has damaged the global Church's credibility.
Thibault Verny, 59, will be president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors while also remaining the archbishop of Chambery in southeast France.
The Vatican commission was created by Pope Francis in 2014 in an effort by the late pontiff to respond after sexual abuse scandals affected the Church in countries across the world.
The scandals have damaged the Church's standing as a moral voice, led to lawsuits costing millions in countries across the globe, and resulted in a number of resignations of bishops.
Verny said he was committed to improving the Church's safeguarding measures.
"We will promote the ... equitable sharing of resources so that all parts of the Church, regardless of geography or circumstance, can uphold the highest standards of protection," he said in a statement.
Verny replaces Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the former archbishop of Boston. O'Malley, 81, had been serving beyond the Church's traditional retirement age of 80 for bishops.
O'Malley had led the group since its creation.
While some victims have praised the commission's efforts, it has also been roiled by the resignations of several of its members over the years.
In 2023, a prominent Jesuit priest and papal adviser stepped down, saying publicly that he had concerns over the way the group was operating.
Verny was first made a member of the commission by Francis in 2022. He has also led the French Church's safeguarding efforts.
O'Malley praised the appointment, saying in a statement Verny is "a collaborative leader committed to advancing the global adoption of protection and safeguarding, to as best possible assure the safety of those in the care of the Church throughout the world".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Any breakaway party should be called ‘Farage assistance group'
A breakaway party to the left of Labour should be known as the 'Farage assistance group', former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock has said. Lord Kinnock told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that any 'splintering' would 'only be of assistance to the enemies of Labour'. Speaking on Friday, Jeremy Corbyn said that 'discussions are ongoing' about the shape of a prospective new political party, after Zarah Sultana said she was quitting Labour to 'co-lead the founding' of a new outfit with the ex-party leader. Ms Sultana, who lost the Labour whip in the Commons last year, said the project would also include other independent MPs and campaigners. Lord Kinnock, who led Labour between 1983 and 1992, told Sky: 'I understand they're having a bit of difficulty over thinking of a name. 'In a comradely way, I'd suggest one. It would be the 'Farage assistance group'.' He said that a 'division' in the 'anti-right-wing vote can only assist the parties of the right, the Conservatives, especially now under Mrs Badenoch and under Farage, the Reform party'. 'So the splintering… offered by a new party of the left… can only be of assistance to the enemies of Labour, of the working-class – the people who have no means of sustaining themselves other than the sale of their labour by hand and by brain – and can only be of benefit to the egos of those who are running such a party,' he said. It comes as Labour are trailing Nigel Farage's Reform UK in the polls. On Friday, the Home Secretary appeared to shrug off Ms Sultana's announcement of a new party, and on Sunday, the Education Secretary said that 'some of those involved' had 'checked out' of the Labour Party some time ago. 'Now it's for them to forge their way forward,' she said. 'But what will determine the next election is whether people really see in their lives, in their families, in their communities, the difference a Labour Government has brought.'
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
U.S. seeks limited trade deal with E.U. as Trump's deadline approaches
BRUSSELS — With only three days remaining before President Donald Trump's self-imposed July 9 deadline, U.S. and European negotiators continue to haggle over a skeletal trade deal that would defer a resolution of their toughest commercial disputes. The prospective accord, which would spare European goods the 50 percent tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose, is one of a relative handful of deals the administration is set to finalize by Wednesday.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Croatian right-wing singer Marko Perkovic and fans perform pro-Nazi salute at massive concert
ZAGREB, Croatia — A hugely popular right-wing Croatian singer and hundreds of thousands of his fans performed a pro-Nazi World War II salute at a massive concert in Zagreb, drawing criticism. One of Marko Perkovic's most popular songs, played in the late Staurday concert, starts with the dreaded 'For the homeland — Ready!' salute, used by Croatia's Nazi-era puppet Ustasha regime that ran concentration camps at the time.
