An independent commission’s report on the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church in Portugal “points to the urgent need to combat whatever fosters silence from those who have been impacted by abuse,” said Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston.

Silence “impedes effective prevention and the administration of justice,” said the cardinal, who is president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

In a statement released at the Vatican Feb. 17, Cardinal O’Malley thanked the commission members and the Portuguese bishops who launched the study, but mostly the victims and survivors who came forward, many telling their stories for the first time.

“Our concern should first and foremost be with the victims, whose right to justice and to adequate care needs to be a common priority,” the cardinal said.

The commission’s report, released Feb. 13, examined the period of 1950 to 2022; all dioceses and religious orders…