Safe Parish and Community
Diocese of Prince George
Developing a Safe Parish and Community
Introduction
As a local faith community of the Roman Catholic Church, the Diocese of Prince George upholds and promotes the values expressed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in the teachings and laws of the Roman Catholic Church. This means, among other things, that the Diocese takes a stance of deep respect for the dignity of all persons and commits itself to the well-being of all persons.
The Diocese upholds the fundamental goodness of all that God has created. It further holds that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ all humanity has been redeemed, lifted up and transformed. We are also deeply aware of the continuing weakness of human beings and the sinfulness present in humanity. We acknowledge that we must take seriously the possibility of misconduct – even among our own clergy, religious, employees and volunteers – and so the Diocese has put in place the “Developing a Safe Parish & Community” policies and procedures outlined in this document. These guidelines are designed to create and maintain a safe environment for our parish and diocesan ministries. The process involves identifying ministry positions which could put children, youth or vulnerable persons at risk and implementing procedures to prevent their harm.
The goal at all times is the protection and safety of our people, our volunteers, our staff and our Church. Thus it is a permanent policy of the Diocese of Prince George to screen all parish ministry positions. The Diocese will always act in accordance with the laws of Canada and of the Province of British Columbia. This Policy reflects existing federal and provincial laws and current canonical norms and it applies to all clergy, religious, employees and volunteers of the Diocese.
It is designed to complement the Diocese of Prince George’s existing policies: “Guidelines in Cases of Alleged Sexual Abuse by a Representative of the Diocese” and “Catholic Independent Schools of Prince George Policy Manual”.
Divided into four parts, the policy outlines a series of administrative and pastoral steps that will create a safer environment for all members of our faith community.
Part One: Mandatory screening procedures for all who minister in the diocese
- Clergy
- Religious
- Employees
- Volunteers
- At general risk level
- At higher risk level
Part Two: Ministerial and procedural guidelines for creating a safe community for children, youth and vulnerable adults
Part Three: Requirements for annual orientation sessions for all ministers, employees and volunteers
Part Four: Responsibility chart summarizing roles and timelines required to ensure the successful implementation of this policy
Part Five: Master copies of forms referred to in this policy:
- Safe parish community pledge
- Ministry letters of reference
- Ministerial risk assessment for parishes
- Screening requirements reporting form
Safe Parish Community – Sept 2014
Form 2 Safe Parish & Community Pledge
Form 3 Ministry Letter of Reference
Form 4 Ministerial Risk Assessment for Parishes
Form 5 Screening Requirements Report