From March 9 to 11, a training and coordination seminar took place at the headquarters of the Legionaries of Christ, under the direction of Dr. Monica Applewhite, an expert in detection, monitoring, and development policies to prevent sexual abuse.
All the priests of the Legion of Christ and members of Regnum Christi who lead prevention efforts and response plans in various territories participated in this meeting. Dr. Applewhite has been working in this field since 1994. In the United States, Ireland, Australia, and several Latin American countries, she has collaborated with Episcopal Conferences, major superiors’ conferences, dioceses, religious congregations, schools, and other institutions, in addition to personally interviewing hundreds of victims seeking help and developing follow-up plans for clergy and other individuals aiming to reintegrate into society and rebuild their lives after committing abuse against minors, always under supervision and accompaniment by the relevant authorities.
In her lectures, she started from the history of the phenomenon of child sexual abuse and the alarming dimensions this issue has taken in our time. She then addressed the topic of abuses committed by some clergy and the response that the Church has given, especially in the last decade, after overcoming unilateral and insufficient views of the past, since it is not only a pastoral or moral problem, nor can it be simply resolved with psychological treatment. Additionally, she illustrated how a much deeper understanding of the dynamics of child sexual abuse (based on the study of the backgrounds of hundreds of documented cases) has allowed, in recent years, to strengthen prevention plans, offer effective aid for victims’ recovery, and ensure assistance and supervision for those who have committed abusive acts.
On the last day, territorial leaders analyzed the implementation plan of the safe environment policies that are being progressively carried out in the territories, leveraging the experiences and advances made in countries like the United States and Ireland. Finally, Dr. Applewhite summarized the subject matter for the members of the General Council of the Legion of Christ, sharing her specific experience working with religious congregations.
