The 1st Latin American Congress on prevention of abuses in the Catholic Church is being held in the Auditorium of the Pontifical University of Mexico, from November 6-8, 2019, reported the Argentine Catholic News Service AICA.
Organized by the Inter-Disciplinary Research and Formation Center for the Protection of Minors (CEPROME), the Congress has the support of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM) and the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM).
Moreover, the Pontifical University of Mexico and the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome back CEPROME.
Analysis and Reflection
The sessions will focus primarily on the analysis and reflection of matters concerning children, the prevention of sexual abuse in the Church, precautionary measures, integral processes of prevention, and vocational discernment.
Father Daniel Portillo, CEPROME’s Director, stressed: “the tragedy of the sexual abuse of minors is a global problem that requires, in fact, a global solution. Therefore, the Congress’ objective is to generate an open and exhaustive discussion to create awareness and mobilize actions, to offer better protection to boys and girls and adolescents in Latin America.”
“The 1st Latin American Congress is an initial approach between the different countries, for the purpose of generating inter-institutional, diocesan and national synergies, which will foster greater protection in our Latin American environment,” added the priest.
Formation, Prevention, and Intervention
Father Portillo explained that the Congress is directed especially to those “working in the ambit of formation, prevention, and intervention on the subject of ecclesial child sexual abuse.”
“It is geared to those Dioceses and Congregations of our Latin American Continent that hope to foster or generate a reflection on an action such as this,” adding that “the Congress helps us to realize that prevention is a commitment and responsibility of all. It’s not an action purely of the hierarchy, but it’s a responsibility of the ecclesial community, in which we are all involved,” he said.
Speakers
Among the speakers at the Congress is Monsignor Charles Scicluna, Deputy Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop of Malta and one of the major experts on prevention and fight against cases of sexual abuses committed by members of the clergy.
Also present is Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, President of the Center for the Protection of Minors of Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University.
Additional speakers are the Archbishop of Monterrey and President of the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), Monsignor Rogelio Cabrera; the Archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes; and the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich.
