Safeguarding in the African Church has emerged as one of the most urgent and uncomfortable conversations within the African Church today. While many still associate the term only with sexual misconduct, the reality is far wider and far more painful. In the words of Fr. Cornelius, safeguarding reaches into every space: our families, our workplaces, and most critically, our worshipping communities.

What makes safeguarding particularly complex is that the wounds it seeks to address are mostly invisible. Unlike illnesses such as cancer, whose gravity is immediately recognisable, abuse within the Church often leaves deep but unseen scars: spiritual, psychological, emotional, and relational. These injuries drive countless people away from the Church, even as some of their abusers go on to hold positions of authority.

Safeguarding as a Call to Ecclesial Conversion

The presenter powerfully frames safeguarding not as an external imposition but as an internal vocation of the Church. The Church is not merely an institution; it is a covenant community bound together by baptism and shared life. Safeguarding, therefore, flows directly from the Church’s identity as a nurturing and protective family.

Drawing from Scripture, the presenter highlights the symbolism of Genesis 3: shame, broken relationships, and exposure. Abuse within the Church mirrors these ruptures, and safeguarding becomes a redemptive response, one that “names harm,” “clothes the naked,” and refuses silence.

This theological grounding underscores a crucial truth: safeguarding is not a Western concept. It is deeply rooted in the Christian call to uphold human dignity, heal wounds, and create spaces where all can flourish.

Different Contexts, Common Challenges

Across West Africa, experiences of safeguarding vary widely. In Nigeria, awareness is present and efforts are growing. In Ghana, cultural dynamics, especially the instinct to protect priests, sometimes slow progress. In Liberia and Sierra Leone, the desire exists, but institutional structures lag. The result is that victims are often unheard, unacknowledged, or pushed aside.

Sierra Leone’s post-war context further complicates matters. Displacement, poverty, breakdown of social systems, and trauma, including drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, sexual violence, and mental health struggles, have created heightened vulnerability within communities. In such environments, safeguarding becomes not only a Church issue but a societal necessity.

Policies, Protocols, and the Implementation Gap

While universal Church reforms, such as changes to Canon Law and the lifting of the pontifical seal, signal a strong commitment to accountability, the real challenge lies in their implementation at the diocesan and parish levels. Many parishes lack visible safeguarding policies, active committees, or clear procedures for reporting and responding to abuse. In Sierra Leone, for example, Fr. Cornelius, SJ, notes that parish-level safeguarding structures are either dormant or nonexistent, despite seminary-level training beginning to take shape.

This implementation gap is where most risks emerge. Without clear protocols, abuses go unchecked. Without procedures, victims remain unsupported. Without awareness, communities stay vulnerable.

The Leadership Question: Credibility and Clericalism

At the heart of safeguarding failures in many communities is the crisis of credibility among some priests and religious. Fr. Cornelius, SJ, names this reality directly: it is nearly impossible for a priest engaged in boundary violations or sexual misconduct to lead safeguarding efforts. His life becomes a contradiction to the very principles he is meant to champion.

Clericalism, which treats priests as untouchable authority figures, further deepens the problem. When communities elevate priests to kingship status, accountability collapses. In some cases, unhealthy alliances between clergy and lay leaders enable networks of exploitation, silence, and manipulation. This dynamic cripples a parish’s ability to confront abuse and create safe environments for all.

Breaking the Culture of Silence

A recurring theme in the webinar is the “culture of silence” that protects perpetrators and endangers victims. Many parishioners hesitate to speak out due to fear, respect, or the belief that exposing wrongdoing will shame the Church. Yet Fr. Cornelius, SJ, insists that silence is itself a form of complicity. It perpetuates harm, drives the young away from the Church, and erodes the moral authority of pastoral leaders.

Safeguarding requires a new culture, one that encourages speaking up, listening deeply, and responding compassionately. Priests must allow themselves to be vulnerable and accountable. Lay faithful must support their priests while also helping them live faithfully. Everyone must work together to ensure that the Church becomes truly life-giving.

A Path Forward: Collective Responsibility and Hope

Despite the grim realities, Fr. Cornelius, SJ, expresses profound hope. Seeds of safeguarding have been planted: parish commissions formed, members trained, and periodic awareness sessions integrated into Sunday homilies. The involvement of young adults is particularly promising, as they represent the future drivers of change.

The path forward requires:

• Credibility among priests, religious, lay leaders, and parish groups.
• Grassroots sensitisation, especially within parish societies and youth groups.
• Ongoing formation rooted in compassion, accountability, and transparency.
• Breaking the myth that safeguarding is un-African. Abuse exists in our communities; therefore, safeguarding must also be in place.
• Shared responsibility, because safeguarding is not “Father’s work”—it is everyone’s work.

Ultimately, Fr. Cornelius, SJ, reminds us that parish communities are the primary spaces where abuse occurs, and where healing must begin. If the Church is to remain a place of life, dignity, and faith, safeguarding must move from policy documents into daily practice.