The establishment of an abuse prevention network in the Latin American and Caribbean Churches

Comparing approaches and exchanging experiences, in order to understand the current situation in the Latin American Church in the area of abuse prevention, and to discover effective ways to work together.

This sums up the purpose of the first meeting of Latin American and Caribbean bishops on the culture of care and prevention, organized by CELAM and the National Abuse Prevention Council of the Bishops' Conference of Chile. The meeting was held last 17-19 November in Santiago, Chile. It was attended by delegates from the abuse prevention commissions of the bishops' conferences of several Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Ghisoni: within the international associations of the faithful, foster a culture of care and prevention that cannot be improvised

Linda Ghisoni, Under-Secretary of the Dicastery, spoke at the meeting, the organizers of which asked her to share the experience and reflections that the Dicastery has attained in accompanying international associations of the faithful on the means for the prevention and protection of minors and vulnerable persons. In her speech, Under-Secretary Ghisoni spoke of what is being done within the international associations of the faithful - many of which have a significant presence in Latin America and the Caribbean- in order to foster a culture of care and prevention that cannot be improvised. It requires long and demanding processes that require a strong formative commitment.

"During those days," said the Under-Secretary upon her return from her trip, "I witnessed the ecclesial communion in Latin America and in particular the generosity and service carried out by the Episcopal Conference of Chile, through its Council for the Prevention of Abuse, with respect to the other commissions of CELAM. From the crisis experience resulting from abuse, which the Church in Chile has been going through in recent times, there has been an effort to find ways to meet, share and accompany the Churches of the Latin American continent”.

The creation of a network to help prevent abuse: twenty-two countries involved and supported by CELAM

One of the concrete results of this meeting, which was headed by the CELAM Secretary General, H.E. Bishop Lizardo Estrada, and the Assistant Secretary, Fr. Pedro Brassesco, is the creation of a network to help prevent abuse. The network is made up of representatives, mostly lay people, from the various episcopal prevention commissions of the twenty-two countries involved, and supported by CELAM.

Presentation of the volume "El abuso sexual en contextos eclesiales", and meeting at the Alberto Hurtado University in Santiago, Chile

The meeting was complemented by the presentation of the volume "El abuso sexual en contextos eclesiales," edited by the National Council for the Prevention of Abuse together with the "Derecho y Religión" Center of the Catholic University of Chile. It is a volume that contains a multi-disciplinary study conducted in the Church in Chile on sexual abuse.

From 21 to 23 November Linda Ghisoni also participated in the meeting sponsored by the Alberto Hurtado University in Santiago, Chile, the theme of which focused on the interdisciplinary study of abuse reparation in the ecclesial context, and the articulation of local and international experiences of reparation.