From January 13 to 17, 22 presiding bishops and national directors of Caritas Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the second edition of the course "Safe ecclesial environments: training in the protection of minors and vulnerable people" which was taught by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

During the course, developed at the facilities of Cáritas Internationalis and the Pontifical University Santa Croce, in Rome, key related topics were addressed with the protection of minors and vulnerable people. A particularly significant aspect of the joint work with the Pontifical Commission has been the opportunity to have a highly trained teaching staff, made up of experts in this delicate and fundamental topic.

Patricia Espinosa, course coordinator, emphasizes that throughout the week it has been possible to address the basic safeguarding issues. "We have seen clinical aspects, the consequences of sexual abuse on the victims, we have considered what the aspect of the perpetrators or accused of sexual abuse is also, canonical elements that must be considered in the appropriate and effective and affective response towards the victims and their families, and we have also seen communication aspects."

Dr. Espinosa, member of the Pontifical Commission, considers the meeting very fruitful, just like the first edition in 2024, and considers “the safeguarding of boys, girls, adolescents and vulnerable people is a fundamental element that runs through all action of the church and Caritas in its social pastoral framework, it is the key to our church.”

The agenda included the contribution of other speakers, such as the secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Protection. of Minors, Monsignor Luis Manuel Alí Herrera, who worked from the reality of Latin America, with Father Jordi Pujol, professor at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce, who worked on communication issues; Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, official of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, who shared the block on topics linked to canon law. Father Daniel Portillo and Inés Franck, from the Center for the Protection of Minors (Ceprome), Latin America, shared their knowledge remotely.

Create safe environments

For Father Jose Abrahan Apolinario Abreu, from the Dominican Republic, who participated in the course, they were extremely intense days, but at the same time a very illuminating and fraternal atmosphere was established. "Above all, we want to protect and care and especially create a safe environment, an environment of care. It is precisely going to help us in Cáritas of the Dominican Republic a lot, because we are already putting the final touches to prepare everything that is the safeguarding documentation in Cáritas."

Apolinario emphasizes that in the archdiocese of Santo Domingo, where it operates in the Dominican Republic, a document on ethics and on the protocol for the care of minors and vulnerable people will soon be published. We ask God that from here lights will come out so that we know how to take care of the people entrusted to us.

Change the attitude

Another participant in the course and director of the Cáritas Social Pastoral in Panama, Maribel Jaen considers this training space as an effort to remove the debt of Latin America and the Caribbean with children, with the people we serve in all our communities.

“The importance of this workshop has been that we have been able to learn about the instruments that the Church has, we have been able to learn about the necessary methodologies to detect and also what to do in the moments that are required when we know of a situation of vulnerability,” he highlights.

Maribel leaves the meeting committed to promoting the issue in her National Cáritas, transmitting the knowledge received “so that there is not only a culture of care, but an environment of care in each of the spaces in which we are carrying out our work of evangelization and service to the poorest.”

Synodal path for safeguarding

From the experience of Cáritas de Venezuela, Ricardo Suarez shares the efforts to comply with management standards to be able to implement a system of safeguarding and protection and accountability within national Caritas.

“We are complying with the development of all the rules, policies and procedures, the safe hiring of personnel, the reporting channels to comply with the response in addition to prevention and governance and at the same time we integrate and form part of the National Commission of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference on this synodal path so that our church is increasingly safer,” he points out.

About the course of the course, Suarez comments that this week has been of utmost importance. “It has made us share other experiences with our brothers from Latin America and the Caribbean, they made us see other situations that we must take into account with respect to the victim, compliance management standards.”

Welcome and listen to the victims

The auxiliary bishop of San José de Costa Rica and member of the regional Safeguarding team, Monsignor Daniel Blanco, celebrated the efforts of Caritas in Latin America and the Caribbean to train everyone in the different countries.

This very necessary issue that has caused so much pain to the Church and that among those of us who serve in the church, whether as ordained ministers or as volunteers, is It is necessary that we become aware of protecting the minor, the vulnerable person and creating safe environments in the midst of the church and our Caritas.

For Blanco, as a result of the presentations throughout the week, there remains the main message of what Pope Francis insists so much on. "The victim comes first, that we must listen to them, that we must believe them, that we must welcome them, that we must protect them and from there the work that we are going to do in the Church I believe will be of great reparation," he highlights.

Pope Francis' closeness to Cáritas and safeguarding

One of the most significant moments of the week was the private audience that Pope Francis granted to the participants of the course, which lasted for about 45 minutes. In this meeting, the Holy Father highlighted that "safeguarding is a divine name", underlining the importance of protecting the most vulnerable as a central act of the Church's mission. His words reinforced the commitment of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean to the creation of safe ecclesial environments and to the comprehensive care of people.

The Pope listened to the testimonies of many countries and encouraged the bishops and directors of Cáritas to continue promoting a culture of care in all communities, highlighting that listening to, welcoming and protecting victims is not only a duty, but a path towards reparation and reconciliation. This message inspires Cáritas to continue working with dedication to build a safer, more compassionate Church committed to the safeguarding of everyone, especially the smallest and most vulnerable.