Penang diocese holds dialogue with Catholic Safeguarding Institute
Cardinal Sebastian Francis recently welcomed Dr Gabriel Dy-Liacco, Founder-President of the Catholic Safeguarding Institute (CSI) of Manila, and Msgr Ramon Masculino, CSI’s Director for Ecclesial Relations and Safeguarding Specialist, at the Catholic Diocesan Centre.
Oct 26, 2024

BUTTERWORTH, Penang: Cardinal Sebastian Francis recently welcomed Dr Gabriel Dy-Liacco, Founder-President of the Catholic Safeguarding Institute (CSI) of Manila, and Msgr Ramon Masculino, CSI’s Director for Ecclesial Relations and Safeguarding Specialist, at the Catholic Diocesan Centre. The October 10 meeting also included members from the Professional Standards Office (PSO) Penang, fostering dialogue on child protection and safeguarding initiatives.
In his opening address, Cardinal Sebastian emphasised the importance of the PSO’s work in protecting children and vulnerable individuals, expressing his desire for the session to be both challenging and thought-provoking. Drawing from his experience at the Global Vatican Summit 2019, he reiterated the principles of “Take Responsibility, Have Accountability, and Ensure Transparency” as foundational to safeguarding efforts.
During the meeting, Dato’ Domnic Selvam, Chairperson of PSO Penang, presented the Diocese Child Protection Manual titled Keeping and Restoring Communion. He outlined the complaint process, including the flowchart for handling complaints, conducting inquiries, and forwarding findings to the Bishop of Penang. Christopher Kushi shared that PSO Penang has established an office at the Diocesan Centre for interviewing complainants and witnesses, ensuring confidentiality in their files. He also highlighted ongoing awareness programmes aimed at safeguarding minors and vulnerable persons within parishes, church ministries, and lay organisations.
Dr Gabriel stressed the necessity for the Church to recognise potential paedophiles, support victims, and act decisively when abuse cases are discovered. Msgr Ramon Masculino, a safeguarding spirituality expert, emphasised the need for a theological and personal understanding of safeguarding issues. He also advised the PSO Penang team to develop a checklist based on the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) document titled Universal Guidelines Framework, dated March 2024, to assess the diocese’s compliance.
The session concluded with the solemn oath-taking of Fr Martin Arlando as the Bishop’s Delegate on the PSO Committee. The committee members include Dr Mary Bharathy (Psychiatrist); Saralla Chettiar (Clinical Psychologist); Agnes Wong (Accountant); Arthur Yeong (Lawyer); Simon Murali (Lawyer); Bernadette Teh (Education Council Delegate); PR Selvarajan (Tamil language), and Jael Tan (Mandarin Language).
For any safeguarding matters related to minors and vulnerable persons in the Diocese of Penang, inquiries can be directed via email to [email protected] or [email protected], or by phone at 05-7102220 or 012-4883303
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