From the 24th of February to the 2nd of March 2024, the International Commission for Safeguarding of the Minors and Vulnerable Adults met in Assisi in order to evaluate on what has been done so far with regard to the question of Safeguarding of the Minors and Vulnerable Adults.
We interviewed Br Aidan McGrath who has been involved in this ministry for many years.
Since the establishment of the Commission what have been important steps which the Commission has completed?
First of all, the steps in the world and the approach to the whole question of Safeguarding of the Minors and Vulnerable Adults. In some places it has been taken seriously while in some places it not yet considered as a priority. We have worked together to identify essential elements to be inserted into policies and procedures in the Entities. We wrote a letter to the whole Order about the abuse of power.
According to you, what are the priorities and challenges for the future?
In my view, the priorities and challenges for the immediate future are:
- To ensure that safeguarding is integrated into all sectors of life within the Order, i.e., in initial formation, ongoing formation, in preparation for ministry, in evangelization and in fraternal life.
- To highlight the risks facing the friars in everyday life and in ministry to make them aware of their own vulnerability of others with whom they will come into contact, not only children, but also adults in situations or circumstances that render them particularly vulnerable, e.g., the elderly, the sick and those confined to nursing care.
What would St. Francis say today about Safeguarding of the Minors and Vulnerable Adults?
During these days in Assisi, we have been working as a Commission and also taking time to reflect on our identity as a Commission working on behalf of the Friars Minor. Time and again, we have come back to the name of our fraternity St. Francis wanted us to be called: “Friars Minor” or “Lesser brothers”, that title indicates a whole attitude of minority, an attitude of solidarity with the vulnerable, with the little ones in society.
In our visits to various shrines associated with Francis, we have reflected on his own behavior and attitudes before his conversion and how that may have affected his outlook on life afterwards and how he behaved towards others.
At the General Chapter, the whole conversation about safeguarding took place under the context of our being “brothers to all”: if we are brothers to all others, then abusive behavior or attitudes of any kind are utterly alien to us.
I think that St. Francis would tell us to be poor and humble, admitting our faults and failings, and working to create sage spaces and environments and environments in which for the weakest of the weak and the most vulnerable can share in the joy of the Gospel.
