On the seventh day of the Meeting of Major Superiors of the Society of Jesus in Rome, the focus turned to a difficult but vital theme: building a culture of safeguarding.

In both the Church and wider society, safeguarding has become a test of credibility and trust. Words are not enough anymore. People expect transparency, concrete action, and a deep change in culture.

General Congregation 36 was a breakthrough moment for the Society of Jesus as regards safeguarding. The silence was broken, and we moved from having a case management approach to promoting prevention – creating a consistent culture of safeguarding across all Provinces and works.

During the meeting, Major Superiors engaged with this issue in depth. It was the theme of the entire day and came up again in smaller, in-depth group discussions. Major Superiors got a chance to talk together about the challenges, the hopes, the consolations, and the struggles in this area and about further actions needed in promoting a consistent culture of protection in their cultures and contexts.

The morning presentation did not shy away from the difficult conversation surrounding the issue. Fr Thierry Dobbelstein, Provincial of the French-speaking Western European Province, shared his experience accompanying both survivors of abuse and those responsible. He emphasized that, while much progress has been made, there is still more to do – within both the Society and the wider Church – to promote a culture that truly safeguards every person.

Fr Juan Cristóbal Beytía, Provincial of Chile, addressed the struggle to move from policies on paper to a living culture of protection. He pointed out some obstacles – generational gaps, clerical attitudes, and issues of credibility – that slow this change. “The invitation”, he said, “is to face the truth of our history, to ask forgiveness sincerely, to make reparation as far as possible, and to create environments that prevent abuse from happening again. That is the beginning of reconciliation.”

Already within the Society, Father General established the Promotion of a Consistent Culture of Protection (PCCP) project in 2018 in response to the mandate given to him by General Congregation 36. PCCP’s goal is to support Jesuit provinces and works in developing and sustaining a culture of safeguarding.

“The project started with a mapping of where each Province was in relation to the three basic standards,” explained Fr John Guiney, Director of the PCCP who was interviewed separately, “having robust policies in place, having regular and quality training for all and having transparent and credible protocols for receiving complaints and putting victims first.”

He noted that while some Provinces are still at the stage of drawing up policies and protocols; others had already started formation and training programs not only for Jesuits but also for all our collaborators and mission partners.

“It is especially consoling that all Provinces and Regions have embraced this project and all are moving forward, even if sometimes at different speeds. We work now with our whole formation structure – both initial and ongoing - to ensure that the culture within the Society changes. That has been a remarkable change of attitude and it brings real consolation. It’s where the Lord is calling the Society”, Fr Guiney added.

Fr Beytía, who co-presented with Fr Dobbelstein, sums it up simply: “We’re not there yet, but we’ve made a good start. I appeal to all Major Superiors to keep going, to keep dealing honestly and humbly with the issue of safeguarding. It is the way for us to build a healthy culture for our ministry and also for our Jesuit life. It is a pillar today for growth in our closeness to Jesus and in our following of Him.”