On the Thursday, February 19 launch of the Safeguarding Initiative for Catholic Sisters (SICS) in Kenya and Uganda, Archbishop Philip Subira Anyolo of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN) has urged women Religious to ground safeguarding in a deliberate pro-life ethic, describing it as a concrete expression of responsibility for human dignity within Church structures.
“God entrusts to his people the responsibility of choosing what promotes life and what promotes dignity and what promotes blessings,” he said, urging the Catholic Sisters in the two neighbouring countries to “choose life” by embedding safeguarding principles into their ministries and community life.
Archbishop Anyolo further clarified that safeguarding extends beyond policy compliance to institutional culture.
“It is about choosing structures, attitudes, and practices that protect the dignity of every person. It is about ensuring that our commitments, our communities, and especially our Religious communities, are places where life flourishes, where trust is nurtured, and where no one is left vulnerable or unheard,” the Kenyan Catholic Archbishop said.
He explained, “To choose life means to refuse complacency; to refuse silence where protection is needed. It means embracing the responsibility that comes with being the Church of Christ.”
Archbishop Anyolo underlined the importance of honesty, courage, and humility in Safeguarding.
He said, “Safeguarding requires humility. It requires courage to confront the painful realities in our lives. It requires that we listen to those who have suffered, and that we accommodate them with compassion and justice.”
“This, too, is part of taking up the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ teaches us that love does not turn away from suffering. It remains present, seeks healing, restores dignity, and protects humanity,” the Local Ordinary of ADN said.
He added, “In committing ourselves to Safeguarding, we are choosing to stand with Christ at the place where wounds are acknowledged and transformed by the grace of God. When diverse charisms converge as you have today, the Church becomes a credible witness to this task that we are taking upon ourselves,” he said.
The Safeguarding Initiative for Catholic Sisters, known as SICS, focuses on protecting the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of Catholic Sisters. SICS works to ensure that Sisters live and serve in safe and respectful environments, free from abuse, exploitation, and harm.
Through training, formation, and capacity building, SICS equips Sisters serving in different apostolates and leadership levels with the knowledge and skills needed to promote safeguarding in their ministries. The initiative also offers e-learning courses for Sisters in initial formation, nurturing a strong safeguarding culture from the very beginning of religious life.
Through awareness and shared responsibility, SICS helps the Church respond with care, justice, and compassion. At its heart, SICS reminds us that safeguarding is a Christian duty, rooted in the Gospel and in love for one another.
Together, we walk as one Church—
shared charisms, one commitment.
