Latest news with #PontificalCommission
LBCI
05-07-2025
- LBCI
Pope Leo takes first action to address abuse by Catholic clergy
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. Reuters
Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Art-eating fungus attacks Rome's ancient underground frescoes
A devastating infestation of microbugs is damaging the treasured underground frescoes that decorate the labyrinths of ancient catacombs beneath Rome. A vast network of tunnels, dug into the soft, porous tufa rock that underlies much of the city, was created in the early Christian era for the burial of the dead. They were also used as clandestine meeting places at a time when Christians were persecuted by Rome's emperors. But the colourful frescoes that adorn the ceilings and walls of the catacombs are being eaten away by microorganisms, a phenomenon that experts say is being accelerated by climate change. Rising temperatures have increased humidity levels inside the underground burial sites, encouraging the growth of bacteria, moss and fungus. The alarm about the rampant art-eating fungus has been raised by a Vatican department, the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology. 'The survival of frescoes which were created 2,000 years ago is at risk,' said Monsignor Pasquale Iacobone, the head of the department. 'There is an increase in the proliferation of vegetation, and the damage is unprecedented. It's the effect of climate change and the increase in outside temperatures.' Ancient Romans, who cremated their dead, banned Christians from burying corpses within the walls of the capital. So the Christians instead dug underground passageways for the interment of their dead, eventually excavating around 300 km of tunnels beneath Rome. They wrapped the dead in shrouds and laid them to rest in rectangular niches that were carved out of the tunnel walls. Among the treasures under threat are striking frescoes in the San Callisto Catacomb, which mark some of the earliest surviving examples of Christian art. San Callisto, the biggest and most famous of Rome's catacombs, was established in the second century AD and contained the remains of about half a million people, as well as seven popes who were martyred in the third century AD. 'Along with the six catacombs that are open to the public, the problem is affecting all 400 of the decorated chambers that exist in Rome's 60 catacombs. We are seeing an unexpected increase in biological infestations,' Barbara Mazzei, an archaeologist and an expert on the catacombs, told Corriere della Sera newspaper. While the problem underground is high humidity, the issue above ground is a lack of moisture – high temperatures and drought conditions mean that trees are sinking their roots deeper, breaking through the ceilings of the catacombs and penetrating the frescoes. The confined, subterranean nature of catacombs and the lack of ventilation mean that it is hard for experts to use chemicals such as biocides to combat the growth of bacteria and mould. Instead, they are experimenting with natural products that are not harmful to humans, including essential oils made from lavender, thyme and cinnamon. The threats faced by the catacombs were revealed at a seminar in Rome organised by the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Many of the catacombs lie beneath the Appian Way, the 'regina viarum' or 'queen of roads' that once ran from Rome to the distant port of Brindisi on the Adriatic coast. In 2010, the earliest known icons of four of Christ's apostles were discovered on the ceiling of an elaborately decorated chamber in a catacomb beneath the streets of Rome. Scientists used advanced laser technology to remove a hardened crust of dirt and calcium deposits to bring to light the brightly coloured fourth-century paintings of Saints John, Paul, Andrew and Peter. The images adorn the ceiling of a vault, carved out of volcanic rock, which provided the last resting place of a rich Roman noblewoman who converted to Christianity. Archaeologists also found an early image of Christ, a painting of a naked Daniel with lions at his feet and a sketch of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The catacombs of Santa Tecla, a labyrinth of tunnels, galleries and burial chambers, lie hidden beneath a five-storey office in Ostiense, a residential area of Rome.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope meets child protection advisory board amid call for zero tolerance on abuse
Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases. There are also demands from survivors that he enacts a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is made up of religious and lay experts in fighting abuse as well as survivors, called the hour-ong audience a 'significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewal of the church's unwavering commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people'. The group said it updated history's first American pope on its activities, including an initiative to help church communities in poorer parts of the world prevent abuse and care for victims. The Vatican did not provide the text of Leo's remarks or make the audio of the audience available to reporters. Pope Francis created the commission early on in his pontificate to advise the church on best practices and placed a trusted official, Boston's then-archbishop, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, in charge. But as the abuse scandal spread globally during Francis' 12-year pontificate, the commission lost its influence its crowning recommendation — the creation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests — went nowhere. After many years of reform and new members, it has become a place where victims can go to be heard and bishops can get advice on crafting guidelines to fight abuse. Cardinal O'Malley turned 80 last year and retired as archbishop of Boston, but he remains president of the commission and headed the delegation meeting with Leo in the Apostolic Palace. It has often fallen to Cardinal O'Malley to speak out on cases that have arrived at the Vatican, including one that remains on Leo's desk: The fate of the ex-Jesuit artist, the Rev Marko Rupnik, who has been accused by two dozen women of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse over decades. After coming under criticism that a fellow Jesuit had apparently received preferential treatment, Francis in 2023 ordered the Vatican to waive the statute of limitations on the case and prosecute him canonically. But as recently as March, the Vatican still had not found judges to open the trial. Meanwhile, the victims are still waiting for justice and Rev Rupnik continues to minister, with his supporters defending him and denouncing a 'media lynching' campaign against him. Leo, the Chicago-born former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has been credited by victims of helping to dismantle an abusive Catholic movement in Peru, where he served as bishop for many years. But other survivors have asked him to account for other cases while he was a superior in the Augustinian religious order, bishop in Peru and head of the Vatican's bishops' office. The main US survivor group, Snap, has also called for Leo to adopt the US policy calling for any priest who has been credibly accused of abuse to be permanently removed from ministry.
BreakingNews.ie
05-06-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Pope meets child protection advisory board amid call for zero tolerance on abuse
Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases. There are also demands from survivors that he enacts a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church. Advertisement The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is made up of religious and lay experts in fighting abuse as well as survivors, called the hour-ong audience a 'significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewal of the church's unwavering commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people'. The group said it updated history's first American pope on its activities, including an initiative to help church communities in poorer parts of the world prevent abuse and care for victims. The Vatican did not provide the text of Leo's remarks or make the audio of the audience available to reporters. Pope Francis created the commission early on in his pontificate to advise the church on best practices and placed a trusted official, Boston's then-archbishop, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, in charge. Advertisement But as the abuse scandal spread globally during Francis' 12-year pontificate, the commission lost its influence its crowning recommendation — the creation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests — went nowhere. After many years of reform and new members, it has become a place where victims can go to be heard and bishops can get advice on crafting guidelines to fight abuse. Cardinal O'Malley turned 80 last year and retired as archbishop of Boston, but he remains president of the commission and headed the delegation meeting with Leo in the Apostolic Palace. It has often fallen to Cardinal O'Malley to speak out on cases that have arrived at the Vatican, including one that remains on Leo's desk: The fate of the ex-Jesuit artist, the Rev Marko Rupnik, who has been accused by two dozen women of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse over decades. Advertisement After coming under criticism that a fellow Jesuit had apparently received preferential treatment, Francis in 2023 ordered the Vatican to waive the statute of limitations on the case and prosecute him canonically. But as recently as March, the Vatican still had not found judges to open the trial. Meanwhile, the victims are still waiting for justice and Rev Rupnik continues to minister, with his supporters defending him and denouncing a 'media lynching' campaign against him. Leo, the Chicago-born former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has been credited by victims of helping to dismantle an abusive Catholic movement in Peru, where he served as bishop for many years. But other survivors have asked him to account for other cases while he was a superior in the Augustinian religious order, bishop in Peru and head of the Vatican's bishops' office. Advertisement The main US survivor group, Snap, has also called for Leo to adopt the US policy calling for any priest who has been credibly accused of abuse to be permanently removed from ministry.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pope meets with child protection advisory board amid survivor calls for zero tolerance on abuse
Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is made up of religious and lay experts in fighting abuse as well as survivors, called the hourlong audience a 'significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewal of the church's unwavering commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people.' The group said it updated history's first American pope on its activities, including an initiative to help church communities in poorer parts of the world prevent abuse and care for victims. The Vatican did not provide the text of Leo's remarks or make the audio of the audience available to reporters. Pope Francis created the commission early on in his pontificate to advise the church on best practices and placed a trusted official, Boston's then-archbishop, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, in charge. But as the abuse scandal spread globally during Francis' 12-year pontificate, the commission lost its influence its crowning recommendation — the creation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests — went nowhere. After many years of reform and new members, it has become a place where victims can go to be heard and bishops can get advice on crafting guidelines to fight abuse. O'Malley turned 80 last year and retired as archbishop of Boston, but he remains president of the commission and headed the delegation meeting with Leo in the Apostolic Palace. It has often fallen to O'Malley to speak out on egregious cases that have arrived at the Vatican, including one that remains on Leo's desk: The fate of the ex-Jesuit artist, the Rev. Marko Rupnik, who has been accused by two dozen women of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse over decades. After coming under criticism that a fellow Jesuit had apparently received preferential treatment, Francis in 2023 ordered the Vatican to waive the statute of limitations on the case and prosecute him canonically. But as recently as March, the Vatican still hadn't found judges to open the trial. Meanwhile, the victims are still waiting for justice and Rupnik continues to minister, with his supporters defending him and denouncing a 'media lynching' campaign against him. Leo, the Chicago-born former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has been credited by victims of helping to dismantle an abusive Catholic movement in Peru, where he served as bishop for many years. But other survivors have asked him to account for other cases while he was a superior in the Augustinian religious order, bishop in Peru and head of the Vatican's bishops' office. The main U.S. survivor group, SNAP, has also called for Leo to adopt the U.S. policy calling for any priest who has been credibly accused of abuse to be permanently removed from ministry. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
