By designating French Bishop Thibault Verny to lead the Vatican’s child safety advisory commission on Saturday, Pope Leo XIV demonstrated his commitment to advancing the fight against clergy sexual abuse.
American Cardinal Sean O. Malley, the retired archbishop of Boston, is replaced by Verny, 59. Pope Francis formed the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors in 2014 as an advisory body to counsel the church on best practices to prevent child abuse and safeguard children, and O’Malley served as its first president.
The panel first lost clout as the abuse scandal swept the world during Francis’ 12-year pontificate, and its most important suggestion—that a tribunal be established to try bishops who covered for predator priests—went unheeded. It is now a location where victims can go to be heard and where bishops may obtain guidance on creating policies to combat abuse after years of change and new members.
In France, where the church has been shaken by disclosures of decades of abuse by priests and bishops, Verny, who is currently the bishop of Chambery, France, has been a member of the commission since 2022 and is the president of the bishops conference’s child protection council. Last month, he was one of the commission members who met with Leo.
Following a devastating 2021 report into the French scandal that estimated 330,000 children in France had been sexually abused by church personnel over the previous 70 years, the bishop has been in charge of conducting an annual audit of the French church’s victim-receiving centers.
Verny has extensive experience assisting victims and collaborating with law enforcement and civil authorities to seek accountability for the grave shortcomings of the French church, according to Cardinal O Malley, who commended the appointment.
O Malley also commended Leo in a statement for keeping the commission a top priority.
According to him, the Holy Father’s actions and words during the first few months of his pontificate give the world confidence that the Church will continue to work to protect children, vulnerable adults, and everyone in our communities.
In relation to O Malley’s sporadic expressions of indignation when even Francis botched an abuse case, Verny commended O Malley’s leadership as brave and having acted as a moral compass for the church.
In a statement, Verny said, “I am dedicated, along with the members and staff, to continuing that legacy.”
The appointment came the day before the pope, who was born in America, left for a six-week vacation at the papal summer residence south of Rome.
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