Action Plan

Getting the picture of the state of safeguarding in the global Society of Jesus (2018-2023) through a baseline survey in all Provinces and Regions followed by an Audit of the implementation of the three minimum standards of safeguarding in all Provinces.

The project, at its instigation, had two distinct tasks, which were complemented with an important third one later:

1) To map and assess the current situation of safeguarding and protection across the whole Society of Jesus in relation to guidelines for ethical behaviour and safe environments; protocols for dealing with allegations and case management; and training and formation that promotes prevention and a consistent culture of protection.

• This first task was achieved through a global baseline survey across the 80 Provinces which took place in 2019.

2) To promote prevention and assist in the development of culturally and ministerially appropriate guidelines, protocols, and ongoing formation. It intends to advance and intensify work which has already been done by Provinces, Conferences, networks and ministries.

• This second task has involved offering accompaniment to anyone within the Society of Jesus and those involved in Jesuit ministries and works in striving to promote a consistent culture of protection. This accompaniment has mostly meant advising in the development of policies and protocols, and giving training.

3) To assess the current situation of safeguarding and protection across the whole Society of Jesus in relation to fifteen indicators that relate to three standards: a) guidelines for ethical behaviour and safe environments; b) protocols for dealing with allegations and case management; and c) training and formation for Jesuits and lay partners that promote prevention and a consistent culture of protection.

• This third objective was met with a Global Safeguarding Audit across the 70+ Provinces of the Society of Jesus, which took place in 2022. All Jesuit Provinces and Regions in the world responded to quantitative and qualitative questions. This has offered an updated panorama on the state of protection of minors and vulnerable adults in all Provinces and Regions of the Society of Jesus, including knowledge of important achievements in this area worldwide as well as places which require further action globally.

A global safeguarding training/formation programme for social impact in all Jesuit works and beyond (2023 – onwards).

Since 2023 up to now, PCCP has two main tasks, being its priority the second one:

1) To continue promoting prevention and assist in the development of appropriate guidelines, protocols, and ongoing training and formation for the safeguarding of children and adults in Jesuit works as well as in the Church and in society at large.

• This implies collaborating with Jesuit Provinces, Conferences, Networks and ministries from around the world in their journey toward institutions and relationships free from abuse and which help in preventing it from happening. Concretely, PCCP addresses this task by means of collaborating with Major Superiors from all six Jesuit conferences, the safeguarding delegates and teams in every Conference, and Jesuit Networks (Fe y Alegría, Jesuit Refugee Service, Xavier Network, JECSE, etc), to advance their work on protection to contribute to eliminate abuse of children and adults.

• PCCP also communicates the safeguarding work being done in the Society of Jesus via publishing articles in the SJES website, in Jesuit magazines in the various Conferences, writing chapters in books, as well as articles in ranked scientific journals. The work of PCCP is also being presented in international scientific conferences in the field of abuse.

2) To implement A GLOBAL PROGRAM OF JESUIT FORMATION AND TRAINING OF LAY PARTNERS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF ABUSE IN ALL THE APOSTOLIC AREAS OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS, this means all Jesuit works in the areas of presecondary and secondary education, higher education, socio-pastoral, faith, and Jesuit formation around the world.

• One of the main needs raised by Provinces and Regions in the 2022 Global Audit on safeguarding was “quality training” for Jesuits and lay partners in mission. As a response, PCCP designed a new formation and training project oriented to social impact, that is, training on contents that have demonstrated to contribute to mitigate abuse, support the victims’ healing, and create a preventive culture. The program was designed in dialogue with the four Secretariats of the Society of Jesus, safeguarding delegates, the Advisory Council of PCCP, etc.

In July 2023, Father General Arturo Sosa SJ, approved this new global project and announced it in the ‘De Statu 2023’ as well as through a letter to all Major Superiors (December, 2023):

We can now begin a new phase of the process for the universal body through a global program of formation and training for safeguarding minors and vulnerable persons. [p. 14]

PCCP is now ready to launch this program, which will include all works of the Society of Jesus in pre-secondary and secondary education, higher education, informal education, socio-pastoral works, Jesuit formation centres and global networks. (...) I request that all provinces and works collaborate, participate and support the program to fulfil the ambitious mandate of GC 36.

• In 2023, some pilots of this new formation/training program were implemented in diverse contexts, including the Philippines, Lebanon, and Kenya.

• This PCCP training and formation programme has begun in the work of formal and informal education (Fe y Alegría), with pilots in all Jesuit conferences in 2025. This is now being followed by the apostolic area of Jesuit formation in the global Society of Jesus, starting with the stages of novitiate and first studies also in 2025. In 2026, the higher education and spiritual areas will follow. Later, the training programme will start in socio-pastoral works. This is all worldwide in scope.