Lombardi editorial: Towards healing and renewal

From crisis to a coherent and firm initiative to improve child protection in the Church, in society, and in the world: that describes the outcome of the sex abuse symposium that took place over three and a half days at the Gregorian University of Rome, with the participation of delegates from over 100 episcopal conferences, various religious orders and numerous specialists in the field. Those in charge of the Vatican ministries involved in the main issues gave clear support to the event, which proceeded along the lines indicated by the Pope some time ago: listen to the victims, work for their healing and for the restoration of justice, formulate and put into practice effective measures for prevention. The goal: to make the Church a completely safe and welcoming environment for children and young people, a place where their human and spiritual growth will be encouraged. The Conference was an intense, and spiritual, ecclesial experience. The diverse origins of the participants demonstrated that the Church is on a journey to make a concrete contribution, profoundly rooted in its different local realities, to the great task of protecting children. The reality of the family, of educational institutions and of the new world of the internet, the spread of child pornography, the formation of priests and educators, are all dimensions that need to be considered in a comprehensive approach to the issues that have been raised. And the educational experience of the Church, a part of many diverse cultures, can become a unique testing ground for bringing essential common principles of child protection into different contexts. Continuing decisively in the way that has already been marked out, in collaboration with the competent authorities and people of good will in different countries around the world, the Catholic Church wants to make a fundamental contribution to one of the most important causes for the future of humanity: the protection of children and young people.