15 May 2025
On Saturday, 10 May, Collegio Sant’Anselmo held its Spring Semester Day of Formation on the theme Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons. In keeping with the Collegio’s tradition of inviting prominent speakers, the morning featured presentations from two Vatican officials deeply involved in safeguarding and ecclesiastical discipline: Bishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera and Archbishop John Joseph Kennedy.
Bishop Herrera, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, began the morning with a presentation on the mission and work of the commission. His 45-minute slideshow explored how the Church responds pastorally and administratively to the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable persons. Bishop Herrera outlined the commission’s mandate to advise the Holy Father and support local churches in implementing universal safeguarding guidelines. He also shared the commission’s five core principles for addressing allegations and assisting victims, and emphasized the themes of truth, justice, reparation and the prevention of future abuse as central to the annual report. The presentation closed with an overview of the commission’s support services for dioceses and religious communities.
In the second session, Archbishop Kennedy, secretary for the Disciplinary Section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, offered a structured overview of the delitti riservati — the most serious offenses reserved to the dicastery’s authority. His presentation categorized these into crimes against the faith and serious violations of morality or sacramental discipline. Drawing on current procedural norms, he explained how preliminary investigations are initiated, how confidentiality is maintained throughout the process and what outcomes — both judicial and administrative — are possible, including penal sanctions and dispensations from clerical obligations.
The morning concluded with small-group discussions among residents of the Collegio, who later reconvened in plenary to pose questions and offer reflections to the two bishops. This final exchange gave students the opportunity to engage with current church leadership and deepen their understanding of how the church is confronting these grave pastoral challenges.
By hosting distinguished speakers from within the Holy See, Collegio Sant’Anselmo continues to affirm its mission not only as a house of theological study, but also as a place of honest formation, dialogue, and pastoral readiness for the global church.
Altre Notizie
On 14 October, Dr. Ziza Fernandes, singer, composer, professor and musical therapist with a Master in Psychology and Logotherapy, talked with Fr. Ruberval Monteiro, Sant'Anselmo artist and resident professor of Contemporary Sacred Art, in the third part of her series "Conversation between Artists : The Silence, Truth and Beauty". Story and video here.
Early in October, two newly-ordained residents celebrated their first Masses at Sant'Anselmo. Fathers Gregorio Carrizal, of Christ in the Desert, and John George, of the Abbey of Saint Gregory the Great, Downside, continued the Catholic tradition of blessing those in attendance. Photos of the Masses can be found on our Flickr account, here.
Father Elijah Owens, OSB, was elected by the monastic chapter on Thursday, 7 June 2022, as the eighth abbot of Subiaco Abbey. Abbot Elijah lived at Collegio Sant’Anselmo from 2014-2021 while he was studying at the Monastic Institute in the Faculty of Theology.
