Pope Francis has appointed Juan Carlos Cruz as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
This department advises the Pope on anti-abuse measures, though it does not hold any executive authority.
Cruz is from Chile. He was an abuse victim of Fernando Karadima, the Chilean priest who Pope Francis expelled from the priesthood for abuse of minors.
He was also a participant in the summit on abuse organized by the Pope in 2019.
With this tweet, Cruz stated that his appointment renews his commitment to keep working to end the scourge of abuse and to the many survivors who are still waiting for justice.
In the past, he’s used his voice to call for more concrete measures against abuse.
JUAN CARLOS CRUZ
February 20, 2019
“I certainly hope that there is radical change after the summit. That the existing canon law will be applied, that the motu proprio 'Like a loving mother', will be applied with transparency, and that the situation changes after next week. The Church is on borrowed time right now.”
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors was created by Pope Francis in 2014.
Two of the commission’s original members were former victims of abuse, Peter Saunders from Great Britain, and Marie Collins from Ireland.
Both left the commission because they did not see sufficient progress being made. The commission is limited to advising the Pope, and does not have the power to impose disciplinary action or control how its proposals are applied.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi/JMB/JR
TR: JM
