On the occasion of the meeting of priests (presbyterium) organised by Mgr. Hervé Djezou, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, Fr. Jean Messingue SJ was invited to give a workshop on Child protection within the framework of pastoral care. The workshop ran from Tuesday, February 18 to Wednesday, February 19, 2020. The workshop was attended by 65 priests of the diocese and religious congregations who are all involved in parish apostolates. Endorsed by JCAM, the workshop was an initiative of the ITCJ UCSAP which executes multiple initiatives in local communities through a holistic, systemic, multidimensional and contextual approach to the issue of Child Safeguarding and Protection.

Highlights of the workshop in Yamoussoukro included three discussion points on: the general ethical principles of pastoral care with emphasis on the care of souls and the conversion of pastoral relationships; an inquest of threats to child safeguarding with particular attention on child sexual abuse inter alia and seeking solutions to these threats; and a perusal of church documents on Child Safeguarding as well as providing orientations towards drafting child protection protocols and the implementation of structures as recommended by the Church in matters of Child and Adult abuses.