Dear brothers and sisters!

I affectionately and gratefully greet all of you, representatives of various conferences of men and women religious and numerous institutes of consecrated, apostolic and contemplative life, gathered to reflect on a theme very close to my heart: how to build communities where the dignity of every person, especially minors and the most vulnerable, is protected and promoted.

Dignity is a gift from God, who created the human being in his own image and semblance (cf. Gen 1:26). It is not something that is obtained by merit or effort; nor does it depend on what we possess or achieve. It is a gift that goes before us: it is born of the look of love with which God wanted us, one by one, and continues to want us. On every human face, even when it is marked by fatigue or pain, there is the reflection of the Creator’s goodness, a light that no darkness can erase.

The care and protection of man for his neighbour are the fruit of a gaze that is able to recognize, a heart that knows how to listen. They are born of the desire to approach with respect and tenderness, to share the other’s burdens and hopes. It is in taking responsibility for the life of our neighbour that we learn true freedom, that which does not dominate but serves, does not possess but accompanies.

Consecrated life, an expression of total self-giving to Christ, is called upon in a special way to be a welcoming home and a place of encounter and grace. Those who follow the Lord in the way of chastity, poverty and obedience discover that authentic love is born of recognition of one’s own limit: of knowing that one is loved even in weakness, and it is precisely this that makes one capable of loving others with respect, gentleness and a free heart.

I therefore appreciate and encourage your intention to share experiences and learning processes on how to prevent all forms of abuse and how to give an account, with truth and humility, of the steps taken to protect minors. I urge you to continue this commitment so that communities may increasingly become examples of trust and dialogue, where every person is respected, listened to, and valued. Where justice is lived with mercy, wounds are transformed into openings for grace.

I also invite you to continue your collaboration with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which promotes and accompanies with dedication the growth of the whole Church in the culture of protection.

I entrust you to Christ, Shepherd and Spouse of the Church, and to Mary Most Holy, Mother of every consecrated man and woman, and I cordially impart my blessing to you all.

From the Vatican, 15 November 2025
 

LEO PP. XIV

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 17 November 2025