Child safety knows no borders - meeting with partners from the Republic of Poland

“We are united here today by an important goal and our Center for Child Dignity is doing the right thing. We are now in the midst of war in Ukraine, and it is a very difficult time - war destroys lives. Of course, all people suffer from war, but children are the most vulnerable. It is important that there are centers that are spaces of faith, hope and security. The church is one of them. In our time, it can be a leader in restoring human dignity by creating policies that ensure a safe environment in the church. It is an honor for us to cooperate and exchange experience with our international partners, our Polish colleagues,” said UCU Rector Taras Dobko.

On April 19, as part of the presentation of the international project “SAFEGUARDING. Child Safety in the Church Environment", a meeting was held with partners from the Republic of Poland - Father Piotr Studnicki, head of the office of the delegate of the Polish Bishops‘ Conference for the Protection of Children and Youth, and Marta Titaniec, president of the St. Joseph Foundation of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University Taras Dobko, Father Bohdan Prakh, Vice President of UCU, Father Yurii Shchurko, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology, and Father Ihor Boyko, Rector of the Lviv Theological Seminary, delegate of the Synod of the UGCC for the Care of Minors and Vulnerable Persons, took part in the friendly conversation.

During the meeting, the Polish guests shared the experience of the St. Joseph Foundation of the Polish Bishops' Conference in protecting minors. The Foundation is responsible for preventing and counteracting victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church community, responds to abuse and prevents its occurrence, and supports the activities of other organizations in this area, provides grants for legal, psychological, and medical assistance.

By joining forces, we will be able to do more to protect children and vulnerable people. We are very grateful to our colleagues from Poland for their support and involvement in the work on the course on child safety in the church environment.