Since 2003, he has taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University's Institute of Psychology. Zollner filled the roles of academic Vice Rector and Dean of the Institute of Psychology of the Gregorian from 2010 to 2019.[4]
Zollner is regarded as one of the leading ecclesiastical experts in the field of safeguarding from sexual abuse, especially in the Catholic Church. He has been a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors since its creation in 2014[5] His membership was confirmed on 17 February 2018.[6] He currently serves as Director of the Institute of Anthropology. Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care (IADC) at the Gregorian.[7] The IADC began as the Centre for Child Protection (CCP), founded in Munich in January 2012 and moved to the Gregorian in February 2015.[8] In 2010–2011 he was a member of the Scientific Working Group of the “Round Table on Child Abuse” commissioned by the Federal Government of Germany.[9]
As of October 2020, he has visited 70 countries to address workshops and episcopal conferences on the need for developing awareness and establishing safeguarding measures. Hans Zollner views safeguarding minors as one of the main tasks the Catholic Church needs to have at heart.[11]
In March 2023, Zollner resigned from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, citing leadership issues and other concerns in a public letter.[12] The commission's president, the American cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, had earlier cited different reasons for Zollner's resignation and, upon the publishing of Zollner's letter, issued a statement disputing his allegations.[13]
The Child at the center: What Can Theology Say in the Face of the Scandals of Abuse?, in: Theological Studies 2019, Vol. 80(3), 692–710; DOI: 10.1177/0040563919856867
voce “Abuso sessuale di minore”, in: P. BENANTI, F. COMPAGNONI, A. FUMAGALLI, G. PIANA (a cura di), Teologia morale (Dizionari San Paolo), Alba (CN) 2019, 5-13
Formation of Priests: Assessing the Past, Reflecting on the Present, Imagining the Future, in: DECLAN MARMION, MICHAEL MULLANEY, SALVADOR RYAN (ed.), Models of Priestly Formation. Assessing the Past, Reflecting on the Present, and Imagining the Future, Collegeville/MI 2019, 163-177
en español: Formación de Sacerdotes: Evaluar el pasado, reflexionar sobre el presente, imaginar el futuro, in: Razón y Fe, t. 280, nº 1442, pp. 263–277
Kirchenleitung und Kinderschutz. Theologie im Kontext des Kinderschutzgipfels 2019, in: MATTHIAS REMENYI, THOMAS SCHÄRTL (Hgg.), Nicht ausweichen: Theologie angesichts der Missbrauchskrise, Regensburg 2019, 189-200
„Mein Gott, warum hast du mich verlassen?“ Spiritualität und der Umgang mit Missbrauch, in: Geist und Leben 90 (2017), 167-175
“Dios mío, ¿por qué me has abandonado?” Espiritualidad y manejo del abuso a menores, in: Razón y Fe, t. 275, nº 1422 (2017), pp. 323–333
“Meu Deus, Porque Me Abandonaste?” Espiritualidade e conduta perante o abuso, in: Brotéria, April 2017, vol. 184, pp. 497–511
«Ma mère, l’Église, m’a abandonné » Aspects spirituels de l’abus et de son déni, in: Christus, Avril 2017, n° 254, pp. 92–100
Together with BETTINA BÖHM, JÖRG FEGERT, & HUBERT LIEBHARDT, Child Sexual Abuse in the Context of the Roman Catholic Church: A Review of Literature from 1981 to 2013, in: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 23 (2014), 635–656; DOI:10.1080/10538712.2014.929607
Together with CHARLES J. SCICLUNA & DAVID J. AYOTTE (eds.), Toward Healing and Renewal. The 2012 Symposium on the Sexual Abuse of Minors Held at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Editor, English Edition: Timothy J. Costello. New York/ Mahwah (NJ): Paulist Press, 2012 (published in 12 languages)
Together with GIOVANNI CUCCI, Church and the Abuse of Minors, Anand/Gujarat (India): Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 2013 (published in 9 languages)
Chair of the Organizing Committee of the Symposium “Towards Healing and Renewal” on Sexual Abuse of Minors (Pontifical Gregorian University, 6–9 February 2012)[14]
Chair of the Steering Committee of the Congress “Child Dignity in the Digital World” (Pontifical Gregorian University, 3–6 October 2017)[4]
Coordinator of the Organizing Committee for the Meeting of Presidents of Bishops Conferences and Superior Generals on Child Protection (Vatican City, 21–24 February 2019)[4]
Catholicism
Germany
