One of the objectives of the annual plan that we have as the JPIC committee of our Delegation is to be in contact with the JPIC commissions of Conferences of Religious of our countries, which seek to promote the life and dignity of people, and of creation in general. For this reason, I accepted the invitation made by a sister member of the “Commission for the Prevention of Abuse and Culture of Care” of CONFER Peru, to be part of it. Since April I have been committed to participating, together with the other religious men and women who make it up, in the execution of the program developed by this Commission. This program includes training courses and workshops, for the members of the commission itself, as well as to offer them to religious and lay recipients.
One of the workshops that the commission is currently carrying out, via zoom, is aimed at pastoral agents who work in Parishes and works of the Congregations, not only in Peru, but also in other countries. The issue of abuse, not only sexual, but also abuses of power, conscience, and spirituality, in ecclesial environments, is a painfully current issue, despite the fact that there are abuses committed many years ago.
As a Commission, we noted that many committed lay people among the participants in the workshop (more than 200 people) seek guidance on how to manage the cases of abuse they are aware of. This just concern becomes a challenge for the Commission, given that there is a need for accompaniment that facilitates the referral of such cases to the appropriate bodies, such as the Listening Centers that the Dioceses must have, or in any case open, as Pope Francis requested a few years ago, in view of the high number of victims by consecrated persons.
On May 31, 2024, we were present as a CONFER Commission at the presentation of the book “Vulnerability, abuse and care in female religious life” a compendium of several authors with testimonies of abuse, statistics and very important recommendations for female consecrated life. This book was brought to light by the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious Men and Women (CLAR). This presentation of the aforementioned book, compiled by Sr. Rosaura Casas, took place in Lima, at Universidad Católica. It is hoped that this book will be widely disseminated and reflected upon by the Congregations of Latin America and beyond the continent.
It was a great opportunity to listen to Sisters Liliana Franco, Daniela Cannavina and Father Jesús García, sharing their concerns and hopes about the great challenge facing our Church in general with regard to the relations between consecrated persons and between consecrated persons and lay persons.
In the same way, to receive the necessary lights in the journey of this Commission, we had a meeting with Father Jesús García, a Spanish Franciscan priest, resident for many years in Ecuador, who is the coordinator of the CLAR Commission for matters of Prevention of Abuse in ecclesial environments.
The hours that this meeting lasted, in the premises of CONFER, were not felt because Jesús García had much to share and answer the concerns of the CONFER Peruvian Commission.
The lines and suggestions offered by Jesús García, well versed in the subject in favour of victims of abuse, will be taken into account by our Commission to continue in a renewed way the work initiated.
As religious, we note that one of the most serious consequences of the abuse committed by consecrated persons (most of them priests) on the victim is his/her consequent inability to believe and trust in a loving and compassionate God. And in the face of the scandal of abuse perpetrated by several of its pastors in many parts of the world, we echo the words of Pope Francis, an example of concrete commitment to the victims: Would not the reality of the abuse and the pain of the victims be the wounds on the body of the Risen One? And would not these new wounds be challenging us?
Sr. Rosa Amelia Canicoba Liza, DW – Peru
