Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean has taken an important step in its commitment to guarantee safe and well-treated environments for all. The recent training"Safe Ecclesial Environments", held in Rome, brought together Presiding Bishops and National Directors of Caritas from the region, which was taught by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

During the course, key topics related to the protection of minors and vulnerable people against abuse were addressed, with the participation of leading experts such as Dr. Patricia Espinosa and the Mexican priest Daniel Portillo. In addition, there was an enriching exchange of ideas in a zoom meeting with Cardinal Seán O'Malley, prefect of the Commission.

This meeting was an opportunity to raise awareness among participants about the importance of protection, as well as to provide them with knowledge, information and good practices to identify, prevent and respond appropriately to situations of abuse and violence.

As part of Cáritas' commitment to creating safe environments, clear objectives have been established to implement policies. and protection measures in the activities of the organization at all levels, parish, diocesan, national and regional. In addition, collaboration and the exchange of experiences among participants were promoted to strengthen the protection focus in the work of Cáritas.

In the words of Nicolas Meyer, regional coordinator, "In the Cáritas of Latin America and the Caribbean we have had and still have many cases of abuse, it is an institutional crisis that we are seeing as a Church, that is why the episcopal conferences have assumed the Pope's request, to work for protection and prevention. Cáritas as part of its organic pastoral care assumes take this commitment very seriously."

This course is part of the campaign "I commit" of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean, which seeks to create safe and well-treated environments at all levels of the organization. It is a call to reflection and action, so that in each Cáritas space it is not power that commands and dictates relationships, but rather service and fraternity.

Photographs Flickr

Vatican News

STUDY 9: Cáritas Campaign #YoMeComprometo

We invite you to watch the Vatican News interview with Nicolas Meyer regional coordinator of Cáritas LAC, the president of Cáritas Puerto Rico Monsignor Tomas González, and the vice director of Cáritas Colombia, Liliana Zamudio