00 31/01/2013 05:25



Benedict XVI receives book
summarizing 2012 symposium on child abuse
held for bishops and religious
Translated from the Italian service of

January 30, 2013

At the end of Wednesday's General Audience, Benedict XVI greeted Jesuit Fr. Hans Zollner, director of the Center for the Protection of Minors and dean of the Institute of Psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Zollner presented the Pope with the German edition of the acts (papers and discussions) of the International Symposium on Child Abuse held at the Gregorian this time last year. The volume takes its title from the symposium itself, Towards healing and renewal". It is also published in English, Spanish and Italian.

A meeting to mark the first anniversary of the symposium will be held at the Gregorian on Monday, February 5, to present the book to the public, and to review the activities carried out since the Symposium of the Rome-based Center for Protection of Minors and the Munich-based E-learning program.

The latter assists diocesan, parish and congregation personnel around the world who work with children and young people to increase their awareness about the issue of child abuse and to provide them with the tools they need to fight the problem and to protect the children and young people in their care. This includes educating the workers on the canonical measures they can avail of and how to create a climate of listening and sensitivity in dealing with young people.