In April, the FSPs of Chile, in collaboration with the local Conference of Religious Men and Women and the support of the National Council for the Prevention of Abuse and the Accompaniment of Its Victims, held a series of encounters on child abuse.
The meetings, in which over 200 people participated, were guided by Fr. Hans Zollner, sj. Fr. Zollner, a psychologist and expert in this field, is the Vice-Rector of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Some of the encounters were attended by Apostolic Nuncio Ivo Scapolo, by Bishop Rizardo Ezzati, who is the Archbishop of Santiago and the president of the Chilean Bishops’ Conference, by Manuel Casanueva, the Superintendent of Education, and other high-profile figures. The talks centered on the risk factors in this area, the therapy necessary for resolving the effects of abuse, and preventive measures to be taken.
During the encounters, our sisters also launched the book, Promoting a Culture that Prevents the Abuse of Minors, by Sr. Claudia Pena y Lillo, fsp. Fr. Zollner described the book as “the most complete text [he knows of] on the subject.” The book was presented by Fr. Amedeo Cencini, a Canossian priest and authoritative voice in the field of formation. Fr. Cencini underscored that Sr. Claudia’s book is an excellent instrument for helping us change our way of looking at abuse and that it opens the doors to a genuine culture of prevention that will enable the Church to emerge from the serious crisis in which she finds herself, living it as a time of purification and redemption.
The FSPs of Chile now plan to hold a series of workshops throughout the country on how to prevent child abuse.
