Church leaders cite key hurdles to abuse reform efforts
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From the Website of CBCP
Church leaders cite key hurdles to abuse reform efforts
Deep-seated cultural barriers, inadequate training, and victims’ fear of speaking out continue to hamper the Catholic Church’s efforts to combat abuse in the Philippines, church leaders said ahead of a landmark safeguarding conference next week.
These long-standing challenges will take center stage at the National Safeguarding Conference, a four-day gathering from Oct. 20 to 23 organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Office for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons.
The first event of its kind in Asia, themed “Our Mission of Safeguarding: A Journey of Hope and Compassion,” seeks to deepen the Church’s understanding and commitment to protecting minors and vulnerable adults within its institutions.
More than 370 bishops, priests, religious, lay experts, and representatives from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) and other Church commissions are expected to attend.
Participants from the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, and Vietnam will also join the discussions to foster regional cooperation and share best practices.
Organizers said the conference aims to promote awareness, improve reporting mechanisms, and strengthen collaboration between Church and civil authorities to ensure accountability and justice in all abuse cases.
Fear, silence, and ‘culture of shame’
Msgr. Ramon Masculino Jr., director for ecclesial relations and spirituality specialist of the Catholic Safeguarding Institute (CSI), said one of the most persistent challenges is overcoming the “culture of shame” that often prevents transparency and truth-telling within Filipino communities.
“In our culture, especially in Asia and the Philippines, the culture of shame is predominant,” Masculino said during a press briefing on Oct. 16. “Because of that tendency to cover up or deny, it’s always present.”
He said changing this mindset is part of the Church’s journey toward renewal.
“The Church is moving into becoming a Church that promotes truth, accountability, and transparency in everything we are doing together with the people of God,” he added.
Archbishop Florentino Lavarias, chairman of the CBCP safeguarding office, said that even when reports of abuse reach Church authorities, victims sometimes withdraw their cooperation due to fear, trauma, or social pressure.
Archbishop Florentino Lavarias, chairman of the CBCP safeguarding office, said that even when reports of abuse reach Church authorities, victims sometimes withdraw their cooperation due to fear, trauma, or social pressure.
“The most difficult challenge is when there are allegations and the victim would not like to participate,” Lavarias said. “But what is important is that there is an office in the diocese and a number they can call in confidentiality.”
Each diocese in the country is mandated to establish its own office dedicated to the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, ensuring that every Church institution becomes a safe space for all.
Training, accountability
Vincentian Fr. John Era, a safeguarding trainer for the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP), emphasized the need for more trained personnel capable of handling abuse cases and helping victims.
“The challenge is really how to equip more people with the skills to handle cases,” Era said. “Even on how we can coordinate with civil authorities — how we can make this happen, I think, starts with education.”
The priest also offered a candid apology for what he described as the shortcomings of some religious communities in their safeguarding efforts.
“I think in our part we really would like to apologize. We have failed in some ways at least in our context as religious,” he said. “That’s why we are here, coming together… in a sense that all of these will translate into real action, that we are going to prioritize the victims of abuses.”
Lay expert Prof. Gabriel Dy-Liacco, CSI president, echoed Era’s point, saying it underscores the need to train more people in safeguarding work.
“Hopefully, in the future, more and more people can be trained,” said Dy-Liacco, who is also a psychotherapist and former member of the PCPM. “Because once trained, they can understand these things better and report them effectively.”
Organizers said the conference will address both preventive and therapeutic aspects of safeguarding, including case management, legal frameworks, and the formation of diocesan and regional safeguarding teams that can extend training and support to local dioceses and religious institutions.
Inspired by Pope Francis’ call for the protection of minors as “an integral part of the Gospel message,” the event serves as both a moment of reflection and a renewed commitment to reform.
Organizers said the conference “concretely depicts the urgency, importance, and seriousness” of the Church’s response to abuse, especially as it continues efforts to restore trust and promote healing.
As Masculino put it, the task ahead is not only administrative but spiritual. “We always say safeguarding is about culture-making,” he said, “because safeguarding has to do with accountability, responsibility, and transparency.”
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