Fr Hans Zollner SJ An initiative aimed at protecting minors from sexual abuse that has reshaped how the Catholic Church safeguards children is ready to take the next step.
On September 1, the Centre for Child Protection at the Gregorian University in Rome will become the Institute of Anthropology, Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care, or IADC.
The change symbolises the Church’s changed approach to a problem that has widened far beyond the Church, according to the Fr Hans Zollner SJ, the president of the organisation and a leading figure in the Vatican’s efforts on the issue.
“Since the Centre for Child Protection’s establishment nearly a decade ago, we have begun to see new dimensions of abuse scandals,” said Fr Zollner, a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors created by Pope Francis in 2014.
Fr Zollner cited the #MeToo movement and reports of abuse in military organisations, the United Nations and other nongovernmental organisations.
In the Catholic Church, Fr Zollner added, there has been a growing number of cases of “spiritual abuse, coercive control and abuse of power” against lay and religious women.
Pope Francis has instituted sweeping reforms during his pontificate to address the avalanche of cases of sexual abuse by clergy, including issuing guidelines for dioceses for reporting abuse and safeguarding minors.
But Fr Zollner noted that they “are sadly not enough.” Sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults “is a systemic issue that needs to be addressed,” he added.