The Pope has signed new norms for the whole Church against those who abuse or cover up. The Focolare, too, has drawn up guidelines and procedures, outlined by Co-President Jesús Morán in a report presented during the recent Focolare “Collegamento” Conference Call. Dated 7 May, entitled Vos estis lux mundi – You are the light of the world – the document is a motu proprio, namely an instrument used when a Pope wishes personally to introduce something new or give new instructions to the faithful. This is Pope Francis’ latest action towards combating abuse against minors and vulnerable people within the Church. It is a vital step along this road. A range of legislative measures regarding the Roman Curia and the Vatican City State were announced at the end of the February Summit in the Vatican on the Protection of Minors. Now this latest normative document is directed at the whole Church. It establishes new procedures for reporting abuse and violence. It ensures bishops and religious superiors are held accountable for their actions. It includes the obligation for clerics and religious to report abuse. It encourages the laity to report abuse and violence to the competent ecclesiastical authorities and at the same time it mandates that each diocese must have a system in place to allow the public accessible ways to submit reports of abuse. The repercussions of this move reach beyond the Church into civil life because, as is well known, the scandal of abuse, both in the past and more recent times, touches the very roots of society, within family, school and sporting environments etc. The document deals with such a grievous issue, yet the Pope has chosen to open it with a phrase from Matthew’s Gospel which expresses hope and light, affirming: “Our Lord Jesus Christ calls every believer to be a shining example of virtue, integrity and holiness”. These virtues are to be lived by all people, and most certainly by those who by embracing the life of consecration to God, should never betray anyone’s trust, should never betray a child. As already reported, the Focolare Movement, with great suffering, has found itself not to be immune from this scandal. In a letter dated 26 March 2019, Focolare President Maria Voce and Co-President Jesús Morán communicated to all members of the Movement throughout the world the Focolare’s commitment to facing this issue. “It deeply pains us – they wrote – to recognise that, also in our own large family of the Focolare, some cases of abuse regarding minors (about 20) caused by people who belong to the Movement or by people who have taken part in meetings organised by us, have occurred. Most of these occurred in the remote past (over 20 years ago), but unfortunately some have occurred in the recent past. Consecrated members of the Movement were also involved in these”. They reiterate the Movement’s “zero tolerance” of any form of violence or abuse, and the duty of every Focolare member to take personal responsibility regarding protection from any form of mistreatment, bullying or cyber-bullying, paying particular attention to minors and vulnerable adults. They urge members to report every suspicion of abuse or violence to the local commissions and the Central Commission for the Wellbeing and Protection of Minors, established in 2015 by the Focolare’s International Centre. They unequivocally warn against the temptation not to report cases “for the good of the Movement, to avoid scandal or protect someone’s good name”. In a recent interview for the Focolare’s international Conference Call, the Co-President emphasized the Movement’s full adherence to the Church’s current approach. Dr Morán explains, “we felt we needed to acknowledge publically the fact that we too have been touched by this tragedy, and so we’re working for the victims to find justice, which also involves embarking on a process of accompanying at a general and practical level”. He recognises this as a great purification for the Movement and points out that our commitment to the protection of minors cannot be confined to Focolare circles. “With this letter we have tried to tell all the members of the Movement that it is important to engage at all levels so that this tragedy, this immense pain, which is a social and moral tragedy, should end as soon as possible and there be no more of these cases of abuse”. The Movement’s commitment is now focussed on prevention and formation of all its members, in particular those involved in children’s activities. Essential to this is collaboration with all the Movement’s agencies working with minors, including the Gen 3 and Gen 4 centres and the New Families Movement. Watch the Conference Call report: Protection of minors: transparency, prevention, training https://vimeo.com/333055363