In early July, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) regional expert for Asia-Oceana, Daniele Donnini, joined PCPM member Sinalelea Fe’Ao on the Pacific island of Tonga, to meet with church and community leaders and discuss Safeguarding initiatives in the country.

The PCPM introduced the role of regional groups of members and Safeguarding experts in 2022 to understand better the cultures where local churches are present and, therefore, better assist in promoting Safeguarding protocols, such as the Universal Guidelines Framework (UGF) and the Safeguarding capacity-building programme, also known as the Memorare Initiative.

Culture and its Impacts on Safeguarding

The regional team met with members at all levels of the local church in Tonga to discuss the on-the-ground developments in Safeguarding, including Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi of Tonga, president of the regional Caritas office, parish priests, religious men and women, and youth ministers.

They also visited Catholic schools to meet with principals, teachers, and students to learn their views on implementing and educating Safeguarding initiatives and policies.

The team attended the country’s birthday celebration of King Tupou VI of Tonga, which allowed them to understand and experience the local culture further.

The Implementation of the UGF and Memorare Initiative in Tonga

During their visit, the team also met with potential advisors who would lead implementation of the Memorare Initiative in Tonga.

The initiative was developed by the PCPM in response to Pope Francis’ request to assist local churches in implementing the requirements of church law for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults. The Memorare Initiative has three pillars:

• Firstly, the creation of structures and systems to receive reports of abuse and assist people impacted by abuse in an appropriate manner;
• Secondly, assitance in the development and implementation of Safeguarding policies and formation;
• Thirdly, the creation of local Safeguarding networks for resource sharing.

The Regional team’s visit to Tonga included discussions evaluating the launch of the UGF pilot program in Tonga. The program will focus on developing culturally sensitive Safeguarding principles and policies with clear criteria so that current and future procedures for the protection of children and vulnerable people in the church in Tonga can be verified and continoulsy improved.