By TLS SocCom

Comoro, TLS, 13 October 2023 – From 10-11 October 2023, Fr. Alexander Garces, SDB, a canon lawyer and parish priest of San Ildefonso Parish Makati, Philippines, has been giving formation on Child Protection Policy from the legal point of view in the light of Salesian charism to different groups of confreres in TLS vice-province. He was invited by the Commission on Formation to disseminate the protocol on Child Protection policy and listen to the opinions and insights of confreres.

On the first day (10 October 2023), Fr. Alex Garces guided the quinquennial priests and lay brothers group to learn some technical and legal terms in dealing with Child Protection Policy. He invited the participants to become familiar with the documents of the Church, recent documents from Pope Francis (mostly his Motu proprio documents), and updated and revised Book VI of the Canon Law with clarification of some terms found in these documents. There are twelve documents with a brief presentation from Fr. Garces decorated with some small and short stories that could make them understandable to the participants. For their part, there is also an allotted time for group discussion and sharing and group presentations.

On the second day (11 October 2023), groups of rectors in charge of the community, parish priests, and principals have their turn for this formative seminar. These elderly confreres warmly welcome the same contents presented by Fr Garces. For some, it is an eye-opening experience and an opportunity to refresh their knowledge in dealing with canonical and legal matters.

In his four concluding remarks, Fr Garces called attention from everyone to work seriously on protecting minors. Starting from recruitment and selection of candidates (using Ratio and knowing the family's background), formative dimension, especially on human and psychological formation, personal aspects of religious life and spirituality (that each confrere must have maturity, integrity, honesty, and co-responsibility in dealing with the issue of protection of minors and lastly from the superior, he must have this sense of animation and governance. In this part, a superior is not only governing but also disciplines, called to make prevention, confrontation, and correction on some confreres when needed. TLS vice-province has submitted a protocol on Child Protection Policy to Rector Major, which has been approved.

This formative seminar would greatly help finalize the protocol with additional matters and will soon be distributed and implemented in the communities.

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