AMECEA PLENARY: Vatican Official Reminds AMECEA Bishops on Establishing National Reporting Offices for Child Safeguarding Concerns
Fr. Andrew Small the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
The Church’s credibility in proclaiming the Gospel message to her members throughout the world, calls for protection and safeguarding of all people including minors and the vulnerable, a Vatican official has shared with Catholic prelates from Eastern Africa region reminding them of Pope Francis’ requirement to establish national reporting offices in their Local churches on child safeguarding concerns.
In an interview with AMECEA online Thursday, July 14, on the sidelines of the plenary assembly meeting, Oblate Fr. Andrew Small who is the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, reminded the Church leaders that having a national reporting office is a requirement by the law of the Church.
“It is a requirement to establish a national reporting facility so that people would know where to go when they have a concern,” Fr. Small a member of the Oblate of Mary Immaculate (OMI) said after speaking to over 100 bishops as they opened the business session at the ongoing 20th plenary assembly for the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
According to the cleric, who is the former National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, continued: “The Church must take action so that everyone knows that children are safe among us whether with religious Sisters, brothers, priests or catechists while they are in the Church,” Fr. Small said during the Thursday interview and continued, “We need to have good policies and procedures which need to be followed and not just be in books.”
The English Oblate priest acknowledged that “the reality of the vulnerability of children is the same throughout the Church even though the manifestation of the problem differs from place to place.”
Reminding the bishops in his message that the Church in her ministry and programs can always do better in ensuring children are protected, the Vatican official emphasized on the need for training of personnel on child safeguarding and protection so that “abusive environments can be spotted early enough and be stopped.”
“I think if our Church is not a place of safety, and our programs are not safe for children, for vulnerable persons, for Sisters, for young women and girls, then it would be very hard to preach the Gospel,” the priest who has been the Secretary of the Commission since June 2021 underscored adding that, “We will not be credible to the faithful. Therefore putting in place good formation programs will help people know the right thing to do.”
Even though the Church looks forward to seeing dioceses establish these reporting offices and come up with practical, good, solid and stable programs and guidelines Fr. Small said, “It may well be impossible to eradicate this (child abuse) completely. But the Church can do a better job by preventing it from happening, as well uncovering it when it does happen and stopping it immediately and bringing justice and healing to those impacted.”
Additionally, the priest clarified that creating national and local reporting mechanism as required by the Vatican instruction entitled Vos Estis Lux Mundi gives people the opportunity to report any accusation or abuse without being afraid of criticism or even retaliation from others. “There are severe consequences if anyone retaliates against a reporter of sexual abuse. The culture of silence and cover up has to end.”
In his message, the cleric who has worked in human rights advocacy, economic development across Africa and Latin America and in the development of initiatives to increase funding for training in child protection throughout the Universal Church, narrated that children today face many challenges including, “Slavery, child labor, trafficking and child prostitution” among others hence the Church cannot ignore these concerns as they are “threats to children.”
“Safeguarding of minors and the vulnerable requires a cultural change. It is about how we look at the dignity of children in our midst as they (children) are part of the Church ministry and need protection,” Fr. Small said during the interview with AMECEA online, and disclosed that in the Apostolic Letter “Vos estis lux mundi,” “the bishops will be held accountable for negligence if they do not act as pastors.”
Besides establishing national reporting offices, Fr. Small who focused on the New Apostolic Constitution in his presentation to the Church leaders, highlighted that “there are consequences for bad behavior.”
“The Holy Father talks of zero tolerance and that means nobody should turn a blind eye when there are accusations,” Fr. Small disclosed and expounded further, “We need to fight the natural inclinations to protect the institutions.”
For the realization of all the programs especially on trainings and formation, the religious priest shared that finances are involved.
He noted that the Church in US spent approximately $25 million in 2021 on training and safeguarding formation and insisted that similar quality training and formation should be available in other continents. “Why is a child in a church in Cleveland, USA more protected than a child in Kitui, Kenya?”
The week-long 20th AMECEA plenary assembly that brought together prelates from Nine AMECEA countries and its two affiliate countries together with other invited guests and delegates will end with closing Mass on Sunday, July 17.
