The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) is pleased to announce a Call for Abstracts for its upcoming European Conference. This event is designed for Church leaders and safeguarding personnel in Dioceses and Religious Congregations from across Europe.

It’s a call to all interested individuals of the European continent who are responsible for Safeguarding and Victims/Survivors outreach in Europe for Bishops’ Conferences, Conferences of Religious, Religious Orders and Congregations, Societies of Apostolic Life, Secular Institutes. The purpose is to build a European Network to share good practices in this important mission to protect children and vulnerable persons.

There is a selection process, the outcome of which will be announced at the end of June.

Conference Objectives:

• To share good practices in child safeguarding within the Catholic Church.
• To develop networks for future collaborative work across the Church in Europe.

Conference Details:

• Dates: 13-15 November 2024
• Location: Palazzo Maffei Marescotti, Rome

Submission Guidelines:

Experts and practitioners are invited to submit a short paper focusing on:

• The presenter’s expertise.
• Specific research or good practice experiences.
• Evaluations of their practice.

Topics for Exploration:

Papers can cover various aspects of child safeguarding within the Catholic Church, including but not limited to:

• Implementation of effective child safeguarding standards.
• Developing a culture of safeguarding through effective prevention strategies and practices.
• Effective participative practice with victims and survivors.
• Understanding canon law related to managing allegations.
• Evaluating safeguarding practices.
• Safe use of digital technology.

Abstract Submission:

• Length: 250 words
• Presentation Format: 20-minute presentation, either to the full conference or within a workshop.

Participation Details:

• In Person: Presenters are responsible for arranging and funding their own travel and accommodation.

Submission Deadline:

• Date: 17 June 2024
• Contact: Submit your abstracts to cgiampietro@tutelaminorum.va

We look forward to your contributions to this important conference, aimed at enhancing child safeguarding across the Catholic Church in Europe. You can register filling the form available HERE.

The Conference proceedings will be made available to the public in a manner to be announced at a later date.