Download the PDF: Elder Abuse Day 2026

ENCYCLICAL LETTER
MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS
OF HIS HOLINESS

POPE LEO XIV

ON SAFEGUARDING THE HUMAN PERSON
IN THE TIME OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026)

Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, calls the Church and all people of goodwill to safeguard the dignity of the human person in an age shaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change.

The Pope warns that humanity stands at a crossroads – either repeating the self‑exaltation of Babel or choosing a path of shared responsibility, communion, and justice. He emphasises that technology is never neutral: it reflects the intentions, ethics, and power of those who design and use it, and therefore must always serve the common good rather than concentrate dominance or deepen inequality.

The encyclical roots its teaching in the Church’s social doctrine, reaffirming the equal dignity of all people, the centrality of human rights, solidarity, subsidiarity, and the universal destination of goods. Pope Leo XIV highlights key safeguarding themes of truth, freedom, work, and protection from new forms of exploitation. Pope Leo warns against digital manipulation, social control, and emerging ‘new slaveries’ in technological systems. He urges the global community to build a civilization of love rather than a culture of power, calling for disarmament of words, protection of the vulnerable, and renewed commitment to justice, dialogue, and peace.

For Religious Life, the encyclical offers a profound reminder that safeguarding is inseparable from human dignity: every technological, pastoral, and communal decision must protect the person, honour truth, and reflect the Gospel’s call to uphold the sacred worth of each human being.

ADDRESS OF POPE LEO XIV
TO THE PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF THE
PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS

Consistory Hall
Monday, 16 March 2026

On Monday, 16^th March at Consistory Hall, Pope Leo XIV addressed the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.  Below you can read a summary of his Address, or you can read the full script by clicking on the link in the title of this page.

Core Message

Pope Leo XIV addresses the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, affirming their essential role in safeguarding within the Church and urging deeper collaboration, listening to survivors, and building a global culture of care.

Key Points

Affirmation of the Commission’s mission

The Pope thanks the Commission’s leadership and members for their demanding but vital work in protecting minors and vulnerable persons.

He emphasises that safeguarding is not optional but a core dimension of the Church’s mission.

Collaboration within the Roman Curia

He praises the Commission’s growing synergy with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, especially its disciplinary section.

He encourages even stronger cooperation with other Dicasteries to enrich safeguarding efforts.

Culture of care, not just protocols

Prevention is described as more than procedures – it requires a ‘culture of care’ rooted in faith.

This involves conversion of heart and attentiveness to the suffering of victims.

 Central role of victims and survivors

Their testimonies are called ‘essential reference points’.

Listening to survivors brings truth to light and opens paths to hope and renewal.

 Importance of a multidisciplinary approach

The Commission’s work benefits from dialogue with various Church institutions.

Their experience – especially in listening to survivors – should inform the wider Church.

Annual Report as a tool for accountability

The Pope highlights the Annual Report as an exercise in truth, responsibility, hope, and prudence.

He looks forward to updates on progress and areas needing further development.

Support for local churches

Bishops and Religious superiors have non‑delegable responsibilities in safeguarding.

The Memorare Initiative is praised for supporting communities with limited resources.

Emerging safeguarding challenges

Two areas of rapid development are noted:

• Understanding vulnerability in relation to abuse.
• Preventing technology‑facilitated abuse in digital spaces.

The Commission’s work on a Universal Guidelines Framework is welcomed.

Safeguarding as integral to Church life

Protection of minors is not isolated – it permeates pastoral care, formation, governance, and discipline.

Every step forward is described as a step toward a more authentic and evangelical Church.

Closing blessing

The Pope entrusts their work to Mary, Mother of the Church, and imparts his Apostolic Blessing.

 

 

The Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS) was delighted at the successful launch of its 2025 International Students Internship Programme, running from 16th September to 9th December. This initiative brought together four dedicated students – three Religious and one Layperson – for an immersive experience in safeguarding within the Catholic Church, in partnership with the Institute of Anthropology Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Italy, under the guidance of Dr. Angela Rinaldi.

Now in their second year at IADC, these students have deepened their expertise in safeguarding, supported by RLSS’s experienced team. The students were also provided with pastoral care throughout the internship, ensuring a nurturing and structured environment for all participants.

Aims of the Programme

The RLSS Internship Programme is designed to:

• Deliver a meaningful, hands-on learning experience in safeguarding within the Catholic Church.
• Equip students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, allowing them to observe and simulate safeguarding practices.
• Collect robust evidence of competency, validated against the established Assessment Framework.
• Ensure that all interns achieve and demonstrate the highest standards of safeguarding competency by the end of the programme.

Meet our Interns

This year’s cohort were:

• Barbara Neuhold
• Fr Gerald Desire
• Fr Pratheesh Kolliyill George
• Fr Sabinus Obinna Onuegbu

Each intern brought unique perspectives and experiences, enriching the RLSS community and the broader safeguarding mission.

Accommodation

We are very grateful to the local religious communities in Liverpool, who provided accommodation and friendship, ensuring a supportive environment for each intern.  Barbara was hosted by the Carmelite Monastery, Maryton Grange; Fr Gerald and Fr Sabinus by the Redemptorist Community, Bishop Eton Monastery and Fr Pratheesh by Fr Charles and the Community at St Vincent’s Parish.

Empowering Future Safeguarding Leaders: A Journey of Learning and Growth

Over the course of twelve weeks, students embarked on an intensive and transformative internship designed to build their knowledge, skills, and confidence in safeguarding practices. This program blended theory with hands-on experience, ensuring participants were well-prepared for real-world challenges.

Week 1: Laying the Foundations

The journey began with a warm welcome and induction. Students met the team, explored the competency framework, and set up their IT systems. A city tour added a personal touch, while private study sessions introduced key documents and frameworks. A one-to-one mentor meeting capped off the week, setting clear goals and expectations.

Weeks 2-3: Diving into Safeguarding Essentials

Students transitioned into core safeguarding topics, including Care and Safety Management, Basic Safeguarding Training, and Safeguarding for Trustees. Interactive sessions explored critical issues such as suicide prevention, self-harm awareness, and risk assessments. Case studies and role plays brought theory to life, fostering practical understanding.

Week 4: Residential Learning

A full week of residential time allowed students to immerse themselves in collaborative learning, strengthening bonds and deepening their grasp of safeguarding principles.

Weeks 5-6: Specialised Training and Project Work

Focus shifted to Safeguarding Children, Spiritual Accompaniment, and Social Media Risks. Students engaged in project work, audits, and reflective discussions, honing analytical and problem-solving skills. Essays and feedback sessions encouraged critical thinking and personal growth.

Weeks 7-8: Leadership and Global Perspectives

Students began delivering group work and training sessions, stepping into leadership roles. They also attended the Global Safeguarding Insights Conference, gaining exposure to international best practices and emerging trends.

Weeks 9-12: Consolidation and Presentation

The final phase emphasised advanced topics like Safe Recruitment, Criminal Justice System Training, and Policy Audits. Students prepared and delivered project findings to stakeholders, showcasing their achievements and insights. The program concluded with a farewell event, celebrating their hard work and dedication.

A Holistic Approach

Across 400 active hours and 250 reflective hours, students engaged in a rich blend of learning experiences – online sessions, office-based work, residential training, and mentorship. This comprehensive approach ensured they not only mastered safeguarding principles but also developed the confidence to apply them effectively.

The result? A cohort of well-prepared professionals ready to champion safeguarding in diverse contexts, equipped with knowledge, empathy, and practical expertise.

On Sunday, 16 November 2025, churches across the UK will once again come together for Safeguarding Sunday – a national awareness-raising campaign led by Thirtyone:eight, the UK’s leading independent Christian safeguarding charity.

Launched today, and now in its seventh year, Safeguarding Sunday is a powerful opportunity for churches of all sizes and denominations to pause, reflect, and take meaningful action to create safer communities for all. Last year, more than 5,000 churches participated, united by one simple belief – safeguarding matters.

In a year where public trust in the Church continues to be tested by revelations of abuse and silence, Safeguarding Sunday offers a moment for honest reflection – and a bold call to transformation.

This year’s campaign theme – Action Speaks Louder – urges churches to go beyond good intentions and conversations, and take concrete steps to improve safeguarding in their communities.

“When we look at the life of Jesus, he didn’t just teach – he took action,” says Peter Wright, Head of Strategic Communications at Thirtyone:eight. “It’s time for us to move from talking about safeguarding to taking action that reflects our calling to love, protect, and care for others.”

Safeguarding Sunday is a chance to celebrate what’s working, acknowledge where more is needed, and build a future where everyone – children and adults – can feel safe and be safe in church.

Whether it’s a full-service or a few moments of reflection, churches participating in Safeguarding Sunday are encouraged to:

• Celebrate the unsung heroes who help keep people safe
• Reflect on how to grow in care, transparency, and accountability
• Pray for healing, justice, and wisdom
• Commit to building a safeguarding culture that is second nature

Free resources are available to help churches plan their involvement, including service guides, prayer materials, videos, and activity packs.

By taking part in Safeguarding Sunday 2025, churches signal their commitment to not only having safeguarding policies in place but living them out in action. It’s a practical, powerful way to show local communities what love in action really looks like.

For more information about the campaign and to register go to: SafeguardingSunday.org

You can also download the Communications Pack by clicking here.

We would love to showcase your efforts on our website so if you have any photographs or articles demonstrating your event for Safeguarding Sunday then please email them to sarah.ward@religioussafeguarding.org. Don’t forget to get consent to share with us from anyone featured in your submission!

Operation Beaconport is a national operation reviewing hundreds of previously closed, group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) cases across England and Wales. It focuses on cases where no further action (NFA) was taken between January 2010 and March 2025 and is being led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in partnership with the CSE Taskforce and police forces.

The purpose of the operation is to reassess cases to determine if reinvestigation is possible; prioritise victim and survivor voices in the justice process; share findings and best practices with all police forces and to support the upcoming Statutory Inquiry based on Baroness Casey’s National Audit.

You can read the full Press Release by clicking here.

We are delighted to announce a collection of new safeguarding training modules for the care and protection of elderly members of Religious Life Groups (RLG), generously sponsored by the Porticus Foundation and developed in close collaboration with the Conference of Religious (CoR). This project has been designed to strengthen the support available to Religious in England and Wales, ensuring that those in later life are safeguarded with dignity, compassion, and best practice.

So far over 200 people have attended our Communicating and Supporting those with Dementia course, which we rolled out in March. In July we launched the Safe Recruitment course and 37 people have attended this so far. In September we delivered the greatly anticipated Safeguarding the Elderly Needing Care course and our first session was fully booked with 20 attending. Now, we are excited to announce that we will start delivering a session on Understanding Care Needs Assessments.

Over the coming months, we will continue to roll out this series of tailored training courses that focus on practical skills, awareness, and the unique needs of elderly members in Religious Life. These sessions will equip participants with the knowledge and confidence to recognise risks, respond appropriately, and create environments where safety and wellbeing remain at the heart of community life.

Safeguarding the Elderly Needing Care:

Tailored specifically for Religious members, lay staff and volunteers who care for elderly adults. This engaging session will include scenario-based discussions and case studies to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to recognise, respond to, and report safeguarding concerns, ensuring the dignity, safety and wellbeing of elderly individuals in your care.

Future dates of this course delivered via Zoom:

• Monday 20th October 10-12
• Tuesday 4th November 10-12
• Thursday 11th December 2.30-4.30

Understanding Care Needs Assessments

This session provides an introductory overview of Care Needs Assessments which are undertaken by Social Care Practitioners. Participants will learn to understand the legal and guiding principles of assessing care needs, determining eligibility to meet needs, personal budgets and care plans. Participants will gain an understanding of how and when to make a referral to Adult Social Care, and what the potential outcomes of the referral may be. This session will also explore mental capacity and best interest decision making for those who lack capacity to consent to an assessment or intervention by Adult Social Care. This session is helpful for anyone who has concerns surrounding the needs of an adult that they are living/working with or caring for.

• Thursday 23rd October 2-3.30
• Thursday 11th December 10-11.30

Caring with Confidence: Communicating and Supporting those with Dementia

Dementia affects over 944,000 people in the UK, with someone developing symptoms every three minutes. This course looks at how Dementia affects Communication and Behaviour and provides you with practical strategies to maintain positive interactions and support you when there may be distressing behaviours in order to protect both the caregiver and the individual.

• Wednesday 29th October 10-11.30
• Tuesday 11th November 1.30-3
• Monday 15th December 10-12

Safe Recruitment:

This session will help those involved in hiring staff and volunteers to understand how to recruit safely and responsibly. We will cover best practice at every stage of the recruitment process to ensure we create a culture of vigilance and accountability. With a strong focus on safeguarding, this course supports responsible and transparent hiring that helps protect the adults at risk, children and young people your RLG comes into contact with.

• Thursday 2nd October 3-5
• Tuesday 25th November 2-4
• Monday 1st December 10-12

If you wish you attend any of the above courses or discuss the RLSS delivering a session specifically for your RLG please email training@religioussafeguarding.org

International Safeguarding Conference 2025 – Rome

“Women of Faith, Women of Strength”

From 17–20 June 2025, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome hosted the International Safeguarding Conference (ISC) under the theme “Women of Faith, Women of Strength” This annual gathering, organised by the Centre for Child Protection/Institute of Anthropology (IADC), brings together church leaders, safeguarding professionals, trauma specialists, academics, and researchers dedicated to protecting children and vulnerable adults

The conference examined gender-related dimensions of safeguarding, focusing on:

• Abuse of women within society and the church;
• Women’s roles as perpetrators or bystanders in institutional abuse;
• Women’s leadership in shaping safeguarding policies;
• Integration of gender perspectives into safeguarding frameworks

Attendees engaged in workshops, presentations, and panel discussions designed to exchange expertise, promote best practices, and strengthen gender-informed approaches in safeguarding.

Our Representation and Reflections

We were honoured to have the following individuals from our organisation in attendance:

• Melissa Andrews (CEO)
• Anne O’Brien (Chair)
• Harriet Ingham (Training Manager)
• Sophia Rattigan (Safeguarding Officer)
• Sr Una Coogan IBVM (CoR Lead Religious for Safeguarding)

Their participation underscored our commitment to safeguarding excellence, gender-responsive policy, and international collaboration.

Key Takeaways for Our Team

• Enhanced understanding of women-centred safeguarding, including the importance of women’s experiences as victims, bystanders, or leaders in policy development.
• The value of bridging academic research and practical implementation.
• Strengthened conviction in a gender lens across our safeguarding mission, reinforcing victim-focused, inclusive, and survivor-led frameworks.

As we return from Rome, buoyed by inspiration and insight, we remain committed to embedding these learnings into our strategies, training, and leadership, ensuring our safeguarding efforts reflect both global best practices and a gender-aware perspective

 

To find out more about the Look Closer campaign click  here  where you can: ·

– Learn how to spot signs of child exploitation.
– Sign up to The Children’s Society free Programme of Learning events throughout the year.

After two and a half years of leading the RLSS, Dani Wardman has decided to stand down as Chief Executive at the end of May 2024. She has expressed her great sadness at leaving the RLSS but has, after much consideration, accepted a role as CEO of the Medaille Trust, a modern slavery charity. Dani was instrumental in the set up of the RLSS, her leadership and commitment to improving outcomes for all involved in safeguarding has been outstanding.

We all wish Dani well in her new endeavours and thank her getting us to this point. We have known for a short while that Dani had secured a new role, so we have been working in the background to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.

With an excellent RLSS team in place, the Board decided to advertise the CEO role internally in the first instance, and I am delighted to announce that Melissa Andrews, currently Head of Membership has been successful. Melissa will work along side Dani for the next two months and take up her Chief Executive position on 31st May.

Melissa brings an enormous energy and understanding to the role and will work with the membership, staff team and Board to build on the RLSS achievements to date. Melissa is an ideal candidate for this role, she understands our work, the scale and importance of what we deliver and the environment in which we operate. She has a track record of successful engagement, operational and financial management in the public and private sector, as well as in a Religious Life Group.

I know you will join with me in thanking Dani for her hard work and welcome Melissa to as she picks up the baton and leads the RLSS into its next phase.

The RLSS has moved into the Liverpool Office which will be its main based of operation. We hope to have some open days to invite RLGs to visit us once our building work in the training room is complete.

Following the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse into the Catholic Church, the RLSS would like to recognise all the people who made this vital and pivotal piece of work possible, chiefly all of the victim/survivors who shared their stories with IICSA, the Catholic Church and the wider public to put an end to abuse within the Catholic Church. We recognise those who came forward did so at huge personal cost, in order to prevent harm to others and we admire and commend their bravery in doing so.

In November 2020, the Church commissioned an independent review into its safeguarding work and structures. One of the areas recommended was a specialist organisation to provide safeguarding support for Religious Life Groups (RLGs). The RLSS is this specialist provision and has been delivering services to nearly 200 RLGs from 2nd February 2022.

As a new organisation we recognise there is still much change needed and we welcome the final report so it can aid and inform our work both now and into the future. We do not believe the job of safeguarding is ever complete, and this final report does not signify the end of our efforts for a safer church, it is the foundation from which to build upon.

The RLSS will continue to put victims/survivors at the heart of our work, to empower them and aid them to feel heard. We will continue to make the protection of all people our key safeguarding message and we will of course keep pushing for continuous and demonstrable improvement in all areas of safeguarding. In short we are committed to continuing to address the many challenges to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults for the Catholic Church identified by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.