Philippines: Bringing to light safeguarding as a mission of all
The first national safeguarding conference in the Philippines, gathering experts and leaders from across Southeast Asia, highlights the Church&rsquos shared mission to protect minors and vulnerable persons.
A conference highlighting the Church&rsquos mission to protect minors and vulnerable persons has taken place in the Philippines, marking an important step in strengthening safeguarding efforts in the country.
Safeguaring conference, Philippines
It was the first national conference of its kind in the Southeast Asian island nation - a country that stands as a stronghold of the Catholic Church in the region. Experts from across the Philippines and neighbouring Southeast Asian nations took part.
More than 300 delegates - including bishops, religious superiors, members of religious orders, and lay experts - gathered for four days in Angeles City, Pampanga Province, under the theme &ldquoOur Mission of Protection: A Journey of Hope and Compassion.&rdquo
The event was jointly organised by the Catholic Bishops&rsquo Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM), the Conference of Major Superiors of the Philippines (CMSP), and the Manila-based Catholic Safeguarding Institute (CSI).
Making safeguarding a shared mission
Coleen Rae Ramirez-Panahon, Scientific Director of the CSI, told Vatican Radio that the country&rsquos first national safeguarding conference brought new visibility to the idea that safeguarding is a mission shared by all.
&ldquoIn the past, the issue might have remained in the shadows and been seen as the responsibility of only a few,&rdquo the Philippine expert explained.
&ldquoNow, the most immediate step we can take is to share what we&rsquove gained from the conference - above all, the conversion and commitment of our wider communities to safeguarding. We must bring everyone on board and open up the conversation, so that fears and apprehensions begin to fade. It&rsquos equally important to get to know the vulnerable people in our midst, to understand their situations, their barriers, and their hopes. Only then can we shape the protective measures that pastors must adopt in their own parishes.&rdquo
The conference offered a rich range of learning opportunities on various aspects of safeguarding. Ramirez-Panahon highlighted sessions on accompanying both victims and perpetrators, canon and civil law, prevention and universal guidelines, and systems of child protection in different contexts - from parishes and schools to online spaces - as well as reflections on the spirituality of child protection.
She also found the &ldquodiverse mix of participants&rdquo especially valuable. &ldquoBishops, clergy, religious men and women, and lay people had the opportunity to learn side by side,&rdquo she said. Participants also examined the Second Annual Report of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Strengthened by the Pope&rsquos message
According to Ramirez-Panahon, the message sent by the Pope to the conference &ldquowas deeply appreciated and received with immense gratitude and renewed strength by all participants.&rdquo
&ldquoPersonally,&rdquo she added, &ldquoI felt not only the support of the Holy Father but also a profound sense of solidarity with the universal Church. It was a confirmation that the Church in the Philippines does not carry this mission of protection alone, but as one with the whole Church. I hope the Pope&rsquos message has inspired everyone to return to their respective regions with fresh energy and renewed commitment to this shared mission.&rdquo
Anne Preckel
Source: vaticannews.va/en