News
What’s next. Cooperation has just begun!
The conference “Our Common Mission of Safeguarding God’s Children” held on September 19-22 in Warsaw ended with a proposal for further cooperation among the Churches of Central and Eastern Europe in the broadly understood work…
The conference from the perspective of the participants
Father Marek František Drábek O.Praem from the Czech Republic and sister Agnieszka Ewa Jarkowska SCdSC from Slovakia: Konference ve Varšavě — 1. den Konference ve Varšavě — 2. den Konference ve Varšavě — 3. den…
Delegate of the PBC, Archbishop Wojciech Polak: the crisis caused by exploitation affects the essence of the Church community
I think that all of us gathered here today strongly believe that what we have experienced together in recent days is important and good, and that we all needed it. Personally, I am grateful for…
PRESS RELEASE – summary
The effective protection of minors requires the cooperation of all who form the Church –emphasized during the international conference “Our Common Mission of Safeguarding God’s Children,” which concluded today in Warsaw. During the four-day meeting,…
The presentation by Prof. Myriam Wijlens
Prof. Dr. Myriam Wijlens, professor of canon law in Erfurt and a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, analyzing the canonical legislation, pointed out the need for a responsible approach by…
Fr. Grzegorz Strzelczyk: Distrust. Notes on the Theological Dimension of the Consequences of Sexual Abuse of Minors
Christianity is born out of Easter events, and therefore out of a direct experience of contact with Jesus who gathers the disciples, announces the coming of the Kingdom, dies, rises again and gives the Holy…
PRESS RELEASE Conference on the Protection of Minors in the Churches of Central and Eastern Europe – Day 3
The theological consequences of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy were discussed on the third day of the international conference “Our Common Mission of Safeguarding God’s Children” in Warsaw. Its participants also shared experiences…
Msgr Tomáš Halík – IN ANIMO CONTRITO. The phenomenon of abuse in a wider context
In a spirit of humility and with a sorrowful heart – in spiritu humilitatis et in animo contrito – we want to touch on one of the most painful wounds of the Church. Even the…
PRESS RELEASE from Conference on the Protection of Minors in the Churches of Central and Eastern Europe – Day 2
The responsibility of pastors and the need for a profound conversion in the face of sins and crimes of sexual abuse of minors committed by clergy were discussed on the second day of the international…
Testimony – father Tarsycjusz Krasucki OFM
I am expected to give my testimony here. Well then, I’ll be talking about what I have experienced. However, in the beginning I have to confess that I don’t like testifying. This reminds me my…
PRESS RELEASE from Conference on the Protection of Minors in the Churches of Central and Eastern Europe – Day 1
In his video message, Pope Francis encouraged the participants of the conference on the protection of minors in the Church of Central and Eastern Europe, which began on Sunday, September 19 in Warsaw, to listen…
Address by Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference at the International Conference of the Church in Central and Eastern Europe “Our common mission of safeguarding God’s children” in Warsaw
At the beginning of our meeting, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all participants, starting with Cardinal O’ Malley and the commissioners of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, who…
Video message of His Holiness Pope Francis
Video message of His Holiness Pope Francis on the occasion of the meeting organized by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and by Polish Bishops’ Conference: Our common mission of safeguarding God’s children…
A Conference of Central and Eastern European Churches
“Our Commission travels to Warsaw to be with the churches in Central and Eastern Europe, to listen to them, learn about their reality and help them chart a course forward in the protection of children…
‘Our Common Mission’: a regional meeting on the protection of minors
Since early 2017, Professor Hanna Suchocka and other Members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors have been organizing a regional meeting on the protection of minors for Central and Eastern Europe to…
The challenge of sexual abuse: What has happened since the February 2019 Summit
In February 2019, Pope Francis invited the presidents of every episcopal conference to the Vatican for a Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church to address the issue of the sexual abuse of…
Soon a Conference on the Protection of Minors in the Churches of Central and Eastern Europe
In less than two weeks, on September 19th, an international conference organized by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and the Polish Bishops’ Conference will begin in Warsaw. It will be attended by…
Organizers
The conference is an initiative of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCTM) and the Polish Bishops' Conference is co-organizing it.
The conference is co-financed by the Polish Bishops' Conference and the Saint Joseph Foundation PBC.
CARDINAL
SEÁN O’MALLEY OFMCAP.
President of the Pontifical Commission
for the Protection of Minors
ARCHBISHOP
STANISŁAW GĄDECKI
President of the Conference
of the Polish Episcopate
The organizing committee
Prof. Hanna Suchocka (Poland)
Professor of Constitutional Law and specialist in human rights at the University of Poznan, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (1992-1993), Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Republic of Poland (1997-2000) and Ambassador of Poland to the Holy See (2001-2013). She has received honorary degrees from the Pontifical Institute for Marriage and Family at the Lateran University, Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw, and John Paul University in Krakow. Among many awards, Prof. Suchocka has received the Max Schmidheimy Stiftung Peace Prize and the Gold Medal of the “Jean Monnet” Foundation (Lausanne) for her activity in favor of integration and human rights. In 2018, Pope Francis appointed Professor Suchocka for a second term to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Prof. Hans Zollner (Germany)
Director of the Institute of Anthropology – Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care (IADC). Fr. Zollner, SJ, was Chair of the organizing committee for the Symposium “Towards Healing and Renewal” on the sexual abuse of minors (February 2012) and meeting of the presidents of bishops’ conferences and religious major superiors „Awarness and purification” (Fabruary 2019). Born in 1966 in Regensburg (Germany), he holds a Doctorate in Theology and is a licensed psychologist and psychotherapist. He was the chairman of the Child Protection Center at the Institute of Psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University (2015-2021). Also he was a member of the Scientific Working Group of the Round Table on Sexual Violence Against Juveniles of the Federal Government of Germany. In 2018, Pope Francis appointed Fr. Zollner for a second term to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Dr Ewa Kusz (Poland)
She graduated from psychology in Lublin and completed postgraduate studies in clinical sexology and human resource management. She also graduated from the study of psychotherapy. He is a member of the Polish Psychological Association. She was the chairman of the Association of Christian Counselors branch in Katowice for 3 terms. Works as a psychologist and therapist. She is also a forensic expert.
She was an auditor at the 12th and 13th Plenary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome. In 2012, she attended the Vatican Symposium on the sexual abuse of minors for representatives of episcopal conferences from around the world on the sexual abuse of minors: Towards Healing and Renewal. She was a co-initiator of the foundation of the Child Protection Center at the Ignatianum Academy in Krakow, of which she has been the deputy director responsible for training programs since 2014. She was a member of the organizing committee of the first international conference in Poland dedicated to the subject of sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Church (2014). She co-created the postgraduate studies program on the prevention of sexual violence against children and adolescents at the Ignatianum Academy in Krakow where she works as a lecturer. She is the author of many preventive training programs as well as many articles on prevention and has conducted many trainings.
Rev. Fr. dr Adam Żak SJ (Poland)
He graduated in philosophy in Krakow, Munich and Rome, and in theology in Naples. In the years 1990-1994 he was the rector of the Jesuit College in Krakow, in the years 1996-2002 he was the superior of the Southern Poland Province of the Society of Jesus. From September 2003, he worked in the Jesuit Roman Curia, where he was the general consultor and regional assistant for Eastern Europe. In 2008, he became the first assistant to the newly created Assistance for Central and Eastern Europe. In 2012, he finished his work in Rome. In 2013, he was appointed by the Polish Bishops’ Conference as a Coordinator for the Protection of Children and Youth at the Polish Bishops’ Conference, creating from scratch the structures of protecting children and youth in Poland. In 2014, he initiated the Child Protection Center at the Ignatianum Academy in Krakow, of which he became its director. In 2014, he co-organized the first international conference on sexual abuse in Poland. He has conducted over 100 trainings on the protection of children and youth in Poland and other countries. He is an active participant in the debate on the protection of minors in the Church and society. As the director of the CPC, he is responsible for postgraduate studies in the prevention of sexual violence against children and adolescents, where he works also as a lecturer.
Rev. Fr. dr Piotr Studnicki (Polska)
Fr. Studnicki heads the Office of the Delegate for the Protection of Children and Youth of the Polish Bishops’ Conference and teaches at the Institute of Journalism and Social Communication at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow. He studied theology at the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Krakow and was ordained to the priesthood in 2006. From 2008 to 2015 he pursued a Doctorate at the Faculty of Social Institutional Communication of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. From 2015 to 2017 he worked as deputy press secretary and spokesman in the press office of the Archdiocese of Krakow and from 2018 to 2019, as a media coordinator for the Child Protection Center at Jesuit University “Ignatianum” in Krakow.
Participants
The Conference brings together representatives of Episcopal Conferences, major superiors of male and female religious institutes and lay people from nearly 20 countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The representative of the Catholic Aid Agency for Eastern Europe “Renovabis” will also take part in it.
The aim of the conference is to exchange experiences and establish closer collaboration among Church personnel and professionals from different countries and with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
(Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo)
Membri e dipendenti della Pontificia Commissione per la Tutela dei Minori - 11
Course of the meeting
Using a workshop style, the regional meeting in Warsaw seeks to enable the exchange of experiences and the initiation of joint activities, as well as the closer collaboration of the local churches in Central and Eastern Europe in the field of preventing sexual abuse.
PRAYER AND TESTIMONIES |
A time of common prayer will open and close each day. There will also be a penance service, a concelebrated Liturgy, and a Vespers service in which testimonies will be heard from people who have experienced clergy sexual abuse. |
PRESENTATIONS |
Nine presentations are scheduled during the conference. According to the theme of each of the conference days, they will focus on the following issues: responsibility - accountability – transparency. Three presentations will be dedicted to each topic, demonstrating the issue in relation to: - the person of the bishop and his duties; the bishop’s relationships with other bishops; the relationship of the bishops with God’s people and society. |
GROUP WORK |
In addition to listening to the presentations, participants will work in language groups, sharing what the issue of the protection of minors looks like in the individual countries - both in terms of prevention and in the area of assistance procedures for victims. Participants will also look at the challenges faced by the Churches in this part of Europe. |
POPE FRANCIS |
On the first day of the conference, Pope Francis will address participants via a video message. |
