A new formative experience promoted by the Order’s Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults will begin on March 1, 2024. The objective is to train people who work and collaborate in the pastoral environments of the Augustinian Recollect family – educational centers, parishes, social works and other ministries – on the promotion of good treatment and the generation of safe environments for children, adolescents and vulnerable adults. The title of the course is Good treatment, prevention and redress of abuse in pastoral settings.
This first edition is offered in Spanish and is intended for religious and lay people. In the words of Carmen Montejo, a member of the Commission, it aims to go a step further, “deepening our knowledge of human vulnerability and of sexual and non-sexual abuse in the Church -of power, conscience, spiritual-, as well as abuse of adults”.
The course consists of five topics, which will be addressed on a monthly basis. The first will address the importance of understanding Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA). The second theme focuses on non-sexual abuse in the Church: of power, conscience and spiritual abuse, with an approach to adult victims. The prevention of abuse in the Church will be the subject of the third theme. The fourth will offer guidelines for accompanying victims and survivors of abuse in the Church. And the fifth topic will address the need for justice and reparation for victims with a restorative approach.
Each topic is accompanied by reading material and in-depth activities, as well as an online class. During the course there will be contributions from Carmen Montejo, family doctor and member of the Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults of the Order of Augustinian Recollects; Mª Rosaura González Casas, religious of the Society of Saint Teresa of Jesus, professor at the Institute of Psychology of the Pontifical Gregorian University, coordinator of the Commission of Care and Protection of CLAR; Francisco Javier Monroy, Augustinian Recollect religious, General Councilor of the Order, and responsible for ongoing formation; Daniel Portillo, priest of the Archdiocese of Chihuahua, and Regional expert for America of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors; and Mª Teresa Compte, president of the Association for the Reception and Accompaniment of Bethany to Victims of Sexual Abuse in the Church.
The course is coordinated by Antonio Carrón and Carmen Montejo, members of the Order’s Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults.
Since its creation in 2019, the Commission has been promoting awareness and training in the field of prevention and intervention in abuse situations. In addition to face-to-face training activities, online courses for educators, catechists, social project volunteers, etc. have been promoted.
Through the In Imum Cordis Training School, two training experiences are currently being offered: the Introductory Course on OAR Safe Environmentsand the course entitled Good Treatment, Prevention and Redress of Abuse in Pastoral Settings . More information on both can be found on the School’s website: https://inimumcordis.org.