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.