On the 5th of May, room 2.2 of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Catholic University of Portugal will host the seminar "Care and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons", between 9.30 am and 12.30 pm.
This event is intended to help reflect on the issue of abuse, as well as to create a more vital relationship between the various structures that have the obligation to protect and care for minors and vulnerable people.
The issue of abuse and, in particular, that of sexual abuse has assumed dimensions never thought of before. It has caused deep wounds, many of them irreparable; it has revealed the lives of people who do not find meaning in life because, from an early age, that meaning was taken away from them; finally, abuses have opened a chapter in our recent history that requires all of us to be more aware of the problem.
The numbers do not capture the anguish, pain or suffering of abused children and young people. Nor do they capture the desperation of what it will be like to live with a burden that they cannot free themselves from.
As Pope Francis says “asking for forgiveness is necessary, but it is not enough. Asking for forgiveness is good for the victims, because they are the ones who should be 'in the center' of everything. Your pain, your psychological damage can start to heal if you find answers; concrete actions to repair the horrors they suffered and prevent their recurrence”.
Despite the tribulations along the way and the serious challenges that this time has raised, we believe that we are walking together towards a sense of shared responsibility regarding the fight against sexual abuse.
Participation is free, but registration is mandatory.
