Sr. Annah Theresa Nyadombo, a Handmaid of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (HLMC), was appointed to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The appointment became official on September 30, 2022 with an announcement from the Holy See Press Office. The Commission falls under the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and was instituted by Pope Francis in March 2014. It is headed by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of Boston (USA).
“I accepted the appointment with humility, realizing that I was going to learn a lot from others in the Commission and elsewhere what was expected of me. But I am grateful to be part of the Commission which was established to strengthen best practices to safeguard minors and vulnerable adults in the Church,” said Sr. Annah Theresa during a visit to the Carmelite General Curia in Rome during recent meetings of the Commission.
Sr. Annah Theresa serves as the National Education and Child Safeguarding coordinator of the Zimbabwean Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC). “The work [of the commission] involves safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults as called for in the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium. The work involves promoting policies and procedures which will create a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults. This will involve the whole Church,” sister said.
Following her first meeting with the other members of the commission she noted, “They are all experts in their own right and are experienced in the area of safeguarding minors. There was “team spirit” for finding the common good.”
Sr. Annah Theresa was professed in the Congregation of the Handmaids of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (HLMC) on December 15, 1981. She taught from 1985-1992 and served as the local authority for St. Benedict’s Mission in Zimbabwe from 1986-1991. She was mission administrator of St. Theresa Mission in 1992 and was appointed Diocesan Education Secretary from the Diocese of Mutare. She served as superior general of the Congregation from 2001-2007.
She has served on two international organizations of the Order: as a member of the Executive Team of the Carmelite NGO from 2007-2019. She simultaneously served on the International Commission for Justice and Peace and the Integrity of Creation from 2013-2019.
She holds a doctorate in Social Sciences and Humanities from the University of Dublin. She was awarded the degree in 2012 after completing a study of a holistic pastoral approach to people with HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe.
She is on the staff of the Catholic University of Zimbabwe since 2014. She is also a member of the Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, an organization promoting dialogue in the world among churches, since 2009. That same year, sister became a member of the coordinating team of Talitha Kum, an organization of Catholic nuns established by International Union of Superiors General (UISG) to end human-trafficking. Finally, she is a member of the Pan African Catholic and Pastoral Network, a worldwide network that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all Indigenous people.
Pope Francis reconfirmed the leadership of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and expanded its membership from 17 to 20 people, naming 10 new members and reappointing 10 returning members. In an statement released the day the appointments were made, Cardinal O’Malley said, “The members include representatives from canon law, social work, the medical and psychological professions, law enforcement and the judiciary as well as pastoral experts who currently work in dioceses and religious congregations.”
The 20 members of the Commission include 10 women and 10 men. Twelve of the members are laypeople, three are women religious, three are bishops and two are priests. Four represent Africa or the Middle East, five come from the Americas, five from Asia and Oceania, and six from Europe. The body of experts, with input from survivors, is meant to make proposals and spearhead initiatives to improve safeguarding norms and procedures. It remains an advisory body for the pope, and it offers concrete assistance to every level of the church worldwide.
