The prevention, protection, and response to abuse against children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults remains a priority for the Northern Region 1 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB North 1), which brought together representatives from the Amazonian dioceses and prelatures in Manaus from May 5 to 7 for the Third In-Person Training Meeting of the Expanded Protection Team.
The meeting took place at the Maromba Formation Center and brought together the heads of the protection commissions from the nine local Churches that make up the Amazonian region. The initiative aims to strengthen the implementation of the Protection Manual developed by the Northern Region 1, reaffirming the Church’s commitment to building safe ecclesial spaces and providing comprehensive care for the most vulnerable.
Sister Rose Bertoldo, a member of the Commission, explained that the training allowed for a deeper understanding of the commissions’ role and provided methodological guidance for accompanying, listening to, and referring cases that come to the dioceses and prelatures.
“We are delving deeper into the manual and methodology so that the commissions can carry out a genuine work of welcoming, listening, and accompanying,” the religious sister noted.
One of the key points was the need to expand local commissions to strengthen preventive work alongside communities, catechists, pastoral workers, and youth leaders. During the meeting, the dioceses shared experiences and progress in disseminating the Protection Manual to ecclesial communities.
Networking has also been fundamental in strengthening the culture of care. In addition to the manual, the commissions use educational materials such as the booklets “The Disappearance of Carolina,” from the Un Grito por la Vida Network, and “Flor Bela,” from the Archdiocesan Caritas of Manaus, focused on the prevention of violence and the protection of children and youth in church settings.
The meeting also addressed the new challenges posed by the digital world. Bishop Hudson Ribeiro, auxiliary bishop of Manaus and advisor to the expanded team, presented the so-called “ECA Digital” (Law No. 15,211/25), a Brazilian law that strengthens the protection of children and adolescents in digital environments and online platforms.
The new regulations establish obligations such as the immediate removal of content involving child abuse and exploitation, age verification mechanisms, and greater responsibilities for digital platforms, social media, video games, and apps used by minors.
According to Bishop Ribeiro, these new realities require revising and updating parts of the Protection Manual to adequately respond to new forms of violence and vulnerability in digital spaces.
“The rise of violence in virtual environments, including digital sexual abuse, demands increasing attention from our Churches and communities,” the bishop stated.
For his part, Father Gilson, canonical advisor to the Metropolitan Commission for the Protection of Children, Adolescents, and Vulnerable Adults, highlighted the commitment of the bishops of the Northern Region 1 to promoting an authentic culture of care, inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis.
“Pope Francis taught us to work toward a culture of care, especially toward our children, youth, and most vulnerable people,” he said.
The Church in the Amazon thus continues to strengthen processes of prevention, formation, and pastoral accompaniment, reaffirming its commitment to human dignity, the protection of life, and the creation of safe and welcoming ecclesial communities for all.