The Safeguarding Community of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean held a deepening space on August 27 with 88 participants, guided by the priest and professor of Communication Ethics at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Pbro. Jordi Pujol. The workshop addressed the topic “Transparency and prophecy in the Church's communication”, putting in dialogue the need for clear and responsible communication with the challenges of the culture of care.

The meeting, aimed at those who had already participated in previous training processes in Rome and in the Safe Environments Diploma, put on the table key issues such as: the value of confidentiality, the “yes” to transparency and the risks of secrecy. P. Pujol stressed that communication must be relevant and directed to the appropriate audience, avoiding both the concealment and unnecessary exposure of sensitive information.

From the perspective of the safeguard, it was highlighted that communicating with empathy and closeness, especially in crisis situations or when victims are involved, is an act of justice and reparation that cannot be delegated solely to lawyers or technical spokespersons. Victims, he recalled, must occupy a central place in any institutional communication process, guaranteeing respect, listening and support.

The presentation gave way to a space for participation and questions, where members of the Safeguarding Community shared concerns, reflections and experiences from their national contexts, enriching the collective dialogue on ethical communication and institutional protection.

P. Jordi recalled that in the Church “to command is to serve” and that government structures must be assumed as service and not as possession of information. In that sense, “translucent communication” – allowing light to pass through prudently, without falling into opacity or absolute transparency – was presented as a key metaphor for the responsible exercise of authority and institutional communication.

Finally, the workshop closed with the participation of Monsignor Gustavo Rodriguez Vega, archbishop of Yucatán and president of Cáritas LAC, who stressed that Transparency must be exercised “with prudence, with charity and with love,” as an act that is offered out of love for the truth and the mission of the Church. He pointed out that communicating involves saying what should be said, to whom it belongs and at the right time, always with a humble and helpful attitude, not defensive or confrontational.

This workshop is part of the regional process of strengthening safeguarding capabilities, promoted by the Regional Secretariat of Cáritas in Latin America and the Caribbean (SELACC). The Safeguarding Community is already preparing for its next meeting on October 22 and 23, where good practices and regional experiences will be shared.