Creation of
Global Safeguarding Alliance

Fr. Prof. Dr Hans Zollner SJ, President
Fr Hans Zollner SJ (DTheol, University of Innsbruck, LicPsych, Pontifical Gregorian University) is founding President of the Centre for Child Protection and Professor at the Institute of Psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He is member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and consultor to the Congregation for Clergy. He is honorary professor at Durham University, UK. Lectures and conferences have taken him to many countries on six continents.

Father Prof. Dr Daniel Portillo Trevizo, Director
Priest from the diocese of Chihuahua, Mx. Studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University Spiritual Theology and has a diploma in Priesthood Formation. Has a master´s degree in Psychoanalysis by the Universidad Intercontinental and the degree of Doctor in Theology by the Pontifical University of Mexico (UPM). At the present, he is the Director of the CEPROME, Centro de Investigación y Formación Insterdisciplinar del Menor (linked to UPM). Fulltime professor of Theology and Psychology at the same University. Member of the International Commission of Safeguarding of minors from Orden de Agustinos Recoletos (Augustinian Recollects). His researches are about the formation of priest, prevention of minors’ sexual abuse in the church.

Prof. Dr Daryl Higgins, Director
Research—in order to understand, and improve the circumstances of vulnerable children, young people and their families—has been my passion for over 25 years. I have contributed to over 250 publications (including more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and journal articles), and over 500 presentations and media engagements. I have led innovative knowledge translation/exchange functions that have increased access to the evidence-base for policy makers and practitioners working to protect children and promote family and community wellbeing. As a Registered Psychologist with a PhD, my formal training in psychology has also been supplemented by my studies in sociological aspects of history. My current research interests cross the discipline boundaries of psychology, criminology, sociology, social work, and public health. Since 2017, I have been the Director of the Institute of Child Protection Studies (ICPS) at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). ICPS enhances outcomes for children, young people and families through quality research, program evaluation, training and community education, advocacy and policy development. We are nationally recognised for our expertise in child safeguarding and child protection, in preventing and responding to the abuse and neglect of children, and addressing vulnerability. We promote children’s participation, strengthen service systems, inform practice, and support child-safe organisations and communities.

Prof. Dr Gabriel S. Dy-Liacco, Institute Director
Prof. Gabriel S. Dy-Liacco is the Institute Director of the Catholic Safeguarding Institute and an Associate Professor of the School of Counseling of Divine Mercy University (Virginia, USA). He serves on the scientific advisory board of the Centre for Child Protection of the Pontifical Gregorian University as well as on the editorial boards of several mental health journals. He has maintained a professional psychotherapy practice since 2000 and has been accompanying priests and religious since 2006. He provides organizational consulting services for dioceses, religious orders, seminaries and Catholic educational institutions, and conducts safeguarding formation workshops for diocesan and religious leadership and personnel. On December 17, 2014, Pope Francis appointed Prof. Dy-Liacco to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and this appointment was reconfirmed in February 2018. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults is tasked with advising the Holy Father on safeguarding matters within the Church and helping him promote responsibility for the safeguarding mission among the particular churches.

Fr. Dr Adam ŻAK SJ, Director
Born 1950; a Jesuit; Philosophy studies in Krakow, München (MA) and Rome (PhD), Theology in Naples (Italy); taught Philosophy of the 20th century in the Jesuit Philosophical Faculty in Cracow. Been among the founders and from 1993 to 2003 a member of the Board of the Krzyżowa/Kreisau Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, which built an International Center for Youth Meetings (IJBS ‘Kreisau’) in Krzyżowa, Lower Silesia. From 2000 to 2003 president of the International Commission for the said Center. Has published works about Dialogical Philosophy (Rosenzweig, Buber, Rosenstock-Huessey), Judeo-Christian relations and socio-ethical analysis of the situation in the post-communist societies of Eastern Europe.

• 1990-1994 Rector of the Jesuit College in Cracow.
• 1996-2002 Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Province of Southern Poland.
• 2003-2008 General Counselor and Assistant for Eastern Europe in the Jesuit General Curia.
• 
2008-2012 during the General Congregation 35, appointed General Counselor and Assistant for Central and Eastern Europe.

Back in Poland appointed by the Polish Bishops’ Conference in 2013 Coordinator for Child and Youth Protection. Since 2014 founder and director of the Child Protection Center (COD) at the Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow.

Prof. Fr. Dr Konrad Noronha SJ, Director, Co-convener
Konrad J. Noronha, PhD (USA), MS (USA), MTh (Delhi), BHMS (Pune), is the Director of the Center for Safeguarding – CCP Unit, at De Nobili College, Pune, India. He is the co-convener of the Safeguarding Commission of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia. He the Director and Coordinator of the Pastoral Management Program at Jnana Deepa Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Pune, India. He has a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Loyola University Maryland and a Masters in Systematic Theology from Vidyajyoti College of Theology, Delhi. His Doctorate is in Counselor Education and Supervision from Loyola University, Maryland. He is a visiting scholar to the Institute of Psychology, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy. In India, he is a licensed homoeopathic physician. As a catholic priest, he belongs to the Society of Jesus. His work focuses on adult clients, especially seminarians, clergy, vowed religious and older adults. The intersection of psychology and spirituality/religiosity are among his research interests; the emphasis being on clinical applications of research findings. He has done extensive clinical work at various sites in USA and India and has given talks, conducted workshops and retreats, and has audibles, book chapters, articles and peer reviews to his credit.

Larry Yévenes SJ, Director Diplomado en Acompañamiento Psicoespiritual
Joined the Society of Jesus in 1987. Ordained as a priest in 1998. Licenciate in Philosophy (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile), Master of Divinity (Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Cambridge, MA, USA), Master of Science in Pastoral Counseling (Loyola Maryland University, Baltimore, MD, USA) Former director and current member at Center for Ignatian Spirituality (Santiago, Chile, 2004-present). Director of Master and Certificate programs in Psychospiritual Accompaniment at Alberto Hurtado University (Santiago, Chile, 2006-today). Professor of these courses: Helping relations, Spiritual Accompaniment, Psychospiritual themes. Member of the National Board for prevention of sexual abuse of minors and accompaniment of victims, Chilean Conference of Catholic Bishops (2016-today). Member of the Center of the Center for prevention and reparation of sexual abuses, Chilean Province of the Society of Jesus (2019-today). Delegate of the Jesuit Provincial for these issues. Member of the petite committee for prevention at the Latinoamerican Conference of Jesuit Provincials. I have provided formation in prevention of sexual abuses in different Chilean dioceses and religious congregations (2010-present).

Prof. Dr Marcus Pound, Associate Professor Catholic Theology
The course of my research has been shaped by two key areas of interest: First, the interaction of theology and psychoanalysis, in particular developing a theological understanding of trauma. Second, transformative ecclesiology, developed through my role in Receptive Ecumenism and the Local Church which tested an approach to intra-Christian learning around those areas of difficulties within the local churches. Bringing these two fields together, I am currently the PI on a major project Boundary Breaking: The ecclesial-cultural implications of sex abuse within the Catholic Church (in England and Wales). The project works closely with survivor groups and organisations within the Church, employs social anthropological methods, whilst bringing together the insights of various disciplines (including criminology, psychology, and public health). Over the years, I have also written variously on theology and continental philosophy; my most recent publication is on theology and comedy (or rather, why comedy relies on a trinity rather than mere incongruity).

A Religious Sister of Divine Love and Mercy. Obtained a teacher’s certificate from St. John Bosco’s College of Education, Navrongo. Bachelor’s in Educational Psychology from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. A Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from the Institute of Psychology of the Divine Mercy University, Arlington Virginia and a PhD in Psychology from the Institute of Psychology of the Pontifical Gregorian University Rome. A teacher at the St. Victor’s Major Seminary Tamale and A member of the Child Protection Board of the Archdiocese of Tamale. Research focused on intrafamilial sexual abuse of minors. Currently identifying survivors and developing survivor groups who can support each other in finding meaning and hope for themselves be a voice for survivors in this context.