The Pope's 21 proposals against child abuse in the Church

During the first session of the Antipodean Summit held at the Vatican, the pontiff handed over a list of 21 thought-provoking proposals to avoid cases of badual abuse of minors inside the Church. These are:

1.- Creation of a "practical vademecum"To establish the steps that ecclesiastical authorities must follow as a result of a complaint.

2.- Establish "listening structures"Trained by experts to perform an initial badysis of alleged cases.

3.- Elaborate criteria for direct involvement of the bishop or the religious superior.

4.- Establish common procedures for the badysis of accusations, the protection of the victims and the right of defense of the accused.

5.- Report a case of abuse to the authorities civil and higher ecclesiastical authorities in accordance with civil and canonical norms.

6.- Periodically review the protocols and standards to preserve a protected environment for minors in all pastoral structures.

IN ADDITION:

Pope Francis opened historic summit against pedophilia

7.- Establish specific protocols for handling charges against the bishops.

8.- Accompany, protect and treat victimsby offering them all the support they need for their complete healing.

9.- Promote the initiatives of formation of bishops, superiors, clergy and pastoral agents to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of badual abuse.

10.- Prepare the processes of pastoral care in Catholic communities that they have lived in their midst cases of abuse, as well as penances and means of redress for the guilty.

11.- Collaborate with the media and people to distinguish and recognize the true cases of forgery.

12.- Raise the minimum age of marriage to 16 in canon law.

13.- Include lay experts in investigations and canonical judgments for abuses.

14.- Protect the presumption of innocence during badual abuse trials, avoid the publication of pre-trial lists prior to the previous investigation and the final conviction.

15.- Respect the principle of proportionality of the sentence and decide that priests and bishops guilty of child abuse will abandon their ministry

16.- Promote programs of Initial and permanent formation of seminarians and candidates for the priesthood or religious life to consolidate "their human, spiritual and psychobadual maturity".

17.- to realize expert evaluations to candidates for priests or consecrated life.

18.- Indicate the standards that govern the transfer of a seminarian from one seminary to another.

19.- formulate "mandatory" codes of conduct priests or volunteers to "define appropriate boundaries in personal relationships".

20.- Illustrate information and data on the dangers of abuse and its effects and how to recognize the signs of these crimes in collaboration with the civil authorities.

21.- Institute has easily accessible body for victims who wish to denounce the crimes and who is independent of the local ecclesiastical authority, with clerical and lay experts.