Pope Leo XIV received the representatives of the Center for Research and Training for the Protection of Minors (CEPROME), an institution dedicated to training and promoting safe environments within the Church, at the Vatican on Wednesday. During the meeting, the Pontiff thanked them for their work and emphasized the need for all ecclesial communities to guarantee safe spaces for children, adolescents, and vulnerable persons.
The participants in the audience came from various countries in Latin America and share the objective of promoting the prevention of abuse and a culture of care in the ecclesial sphere. Pope Leo XIV thanked them for their commitment and highlighted the importance of their work for the life of the Church.
The encounter with Christ requires safe spaces
In his intervention, the Pope linked the mission of protecting minors with the Church’s own evangelizing task. He recalled that the first disciples were profoundly transformed by their encounter with Jesus Christ and that that same experience is called to be repeated in every generation.
However, he warned that for an authentic experience of faith to occur, Christian communities must offer safe environments. According to his explanation, while the encounter with Christ leads to a life of love and freedom, situations of abuse cause deep wounds that affect both de human and the spiri