Photo by Yan Krukov

The Safety in Ministry network of our Jesuit conference will meet in Sydney, Australia from 22 to 29 January.

The five-day meeting, which will be hosted by the Australian province, will gather 14 safeguarding delegates across the different Jesuit provinces in Asia Pacific. They have invited Fr Hans Zollner SJ, Director of the Institute of Anthropology: Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care (IADC) at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and top promoter of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. IADC conducts the diploma programme in safeguarding.

Besides the encounter with Fr Zollner, which will cover two days, the group will also discuss the results of the global baseline survey conducted to map and assess the current situation of safeguarding and protection across the whole Society of Jesus. Each province had received a feedback based on the audit.

The survey is part of Promoting a Consistent Culture of Protection, a three-year project established to help fulfil the mandate of General Congregation 36 entrusted to Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ “to continue working with the Major Superiors and Conferences to promote, within the communities and ministries of the Society, a consistent culture of protection and safety for minors”.

“This is the first time we are meeting face to face and it is a good opportunity for us to share our personal experiences in promoting safeguarding in our respective provinces,” shared Fr James Gascon SJ, Safety in Ministry Coordinator. “We will learn much from each other, especially from the Australian Province which has been rated as the most compliant in our conference.”