Archbishop Thibault Verny of Chambéry, France, has been named president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, succeeding Cardinal Sean O’Malley.
Archbishop Verny, 59, is widely respected in France for his rigorous approach to clergy abuse cases.
A physicist-turned-priest, as auxiliary bishop of Paris, he spearheaded groundbreaking cooperation between the church and civil authorities, ending the practice of internal investigations in favor of immediate judicial referrals.
That 2019 Paris protocol became a model nationwide. Stéphane de Navacelle, a lawyer who worked on France’s landmark 2021 abuse report, praised Archbishop Verny’s “rigor,” but also “transparency,” and “irreproachable commitment” to victims and justice.
Archbishop Verny has been a member of the Vatican commission since 2022 and previously chaired France’s own anti-abuse council.
His appointment signals Rome’s confidence in his ability to institutionalise transparency and accountability globally, building on hard lessons learned in France’s painful reckoning with decades of abuse.