AMECEA: Ethiopian Catholic Church held a consultative meeting on child protection and safeguarding
By Bezawit Assefa
A two-day consultative meeting on Child protection and safeguarding vulnerable adults was held between clergy representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) and the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) secretariat safeguarding office in Addis Ababa, from 24th– 25th, October 2023.
The objective of the consultation is to reach a consensus and provide recommendations on the issues of the state of children in Ethiopia and the region, in concepts, scope, and opportunities of safeguarding, and generate a practical action plan for the Church in Ethiopia in safeguarding.
The Secretary General of CBCE Fr Teshome Fikre highlighted in his opening message that the consultation’s point of departure is to create a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults. He added “Our Church is calling for zero tolerance in in protection and safeguarding, and the Church in Ethiopia has taken this initiative starting in 2018 and still serving towards reaching this”.
In her remarks, Augusta Muthigani, Regional safeguarding expert in Africa said the clergy are the front-line safe-guarders in taking their leadership opportunity within the Church and community.
She added in her remarks, that AMECEA is a key institution to address such major Church priorities and this dialogue has provided recommendations regarding implementation of safeguarding.
Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo, AMECEA pastoral coordinator addressed the participants about the agenda of the consultative meeting and thanked the effort done by all representatives from the Holy See and Ethiopia. He noted that this process shares the spirit of Synod and discussions in discernment. “AMECEA will bring out new horizons and approaches through the guidance of the Holy Spirit where we minimize the suffering of many lives and we ourselves could be in a safe world”
The consultation participants reflected on the different topics and input and put forward critical issues and challenges in the process. One of the recommendations from the participants was to contextualize the implementation of the policies of child protection and safeguarding vulnerable adults.
The forum reached to consensus in empowering the clergy in safeguarding, defining individual roles in the protection of minors without jeopardizing roles, and making sure all clergy and individuals working with the Church are ambassadors of safeguarding.
