Three conferences have been held on Safeguarding since the end of 2023, showing an increasing awareness and commitment to the protection of minors and vulnerable persons in the Catholic Church in India.  

Sister Arina Gonsalves, RJM, a member and moderator of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, attended several important conferences in India dedicated to Safeguarding and the protection of children and vulnerable adults. 

Kerala Region Workshop on Safeguarding 

The Commission for Children of the Kerala Region Latin Catholic Bishops Council (KRLCBC) held an event April 19-20 at the Pastoral Orientation Center in Kochi dedicated to Safeguarding and protecting minors and vulnerable adults, and developing child protection policies. 45 priests, religious men and women, and lay people from 13 Latin-rite dioceses of Kerala participated in this event.  

At the event, participants were briefed on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), an act designed to bring justice to children affected by abuse, focusing on the well-being and the best interest of each child afflicted.  

Following this introduction, Father Sebastian Mathew Villukulam, professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical Institute Alwaye, spoke about protecting children and vulnerable adults from a canonical perspective. Participants also attended group workshops to discuss the materials and information presented.  

Sister Arina was invited by the Kerala bishops to conduct the program following a National Symposium on Safeguarding held in Nov. 2023 in India. Sister Arina spoke about the commission’s work and guidelines for developing child protection policies in their respective dioceses.  

Among the 13 participating dioceses, only one had a Child Protection Policy, which diocesan representatives hoped would change soon. “The Commission will assist the local churches to address this gap in the near future through the Regional Group,” Daniele Donnini, regional expert of Asia-Oceania, said. By August 30th another five dioceses had developed child protection policies. 

Guidance on the Protection of Minors for Newly Appointed Bishops 

The training program for newly appointed bishops, held March 11-15 and organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), was attended by Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, who also gave the welcoming speech to the participating bishops.  

In attendance were 19 newly appointed bishops, as well as Father Jervis D’souza, deputy Secretary of Catholic Bishops’ of India, and Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, apostolic nuncio to India and Nepal. The bishops had the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge on Safeguarding and gain a better understanding of the importance of protection policies in their respective dioceses. 

“Many of their doubts were cleared in the sessions,” Sr. Arina said. “They were given guidance by His Eminence Cardinal Gracias on the Vademecum and Vos Estis Lux Mundi and were offered help to frame child protection policy in their respective diocese.” Sr. Arina also held a session on Safeguarding for the bishops.   

The Vademecum, or guidebook, is a document by the Holy See that details points of procedure in dealing with cases of sexual abuse of minors within the Church. Vos Estis Lux Mundi, another document by the Holy See also focused on Safeguarding, establishes universal procedural norms to prevent sexual abuse and hold offenders accountable.  

The bishops also had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the Universal Guidelines Framework (UGF), a Safeguarding capacity-building program composed by the Commission. They were also taught how to handle cases according to canon law and local criminal law, as well as projects Caritas India is engaged in.   

First Indian Safeguarding Conference 

The events throughout 2024 continue a journey that began after last year’s National Symposium on Human Dignity and Pastoral Accompaniment of the Vulnerable, the Minors, and Victims of Injustice. 

Held Nov. 17-19, 2023, the symposium was organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and St. Joseph’s Safeguarding Center. 

Some 275 participants, including a cardinal, archbishops, bishops, priests, and religious and women from all over the country traveled to Mumbai to attend the first Safeguarding conference solely focused on the Catholic Church in India.  

The symposium aimed to give participants a better understanding of the appropriate accompaniment in cases of clergy abuse and knowledge of theological, ethical, canonical, and legal perspectives.  

“There was a lot of interaction, sharing and reporting,” Sister Arina, who both participated and gave a session on the UGF, said. “There was a great awareness of the Church’s stand on child protection policy and support to victims of sexual abuse”.