By Kristin Leandro Special to the Herald
Did you know that June 2017 marked 15 years since the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) implemented the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” in response to the clergy sex abuse scandal? The “Charter,” as it is commonly called, developed a comprehensive set of national standards to bring healing to victims of abuse and established the framework for the prevention of future abuse.
Since 2003, the USCCB has published an annual report, “Findings and Recommendations on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” This report summarizes the results of independent audit reviews conducted annually in dioceses across the country, noting progress made in implementing the Charter and opportunities for improvement. The 2016 Annual Report, released on June 9, 2017, highlighted the following milestones:
- 4.5 million children in Catholic schools and religious education programs have been trained to recognize abuse and how to tell someone about it.
- More than 2.3 million adults working or volunteering in parishes and schools have completed training to recognize the warning signs of abuse, grooming (where a perpetrator cultivates the trust of a victim), and violations of proper physical boundaries, as well as the process for reporting abuse.
- 2.4 million background checks have been conducted on clergy, religious, church employees and volunteers.
One important goal of the Charter over the last 15 years has been to establish the church as a trusted place of healing for victims and survivors of abuse. In keeping with this focus, in September 2016 Pope Francis called for a “Day of Prayer and Penance” for survivors of sexual abuse within the church. In response to this call, and in recognition of the 15th anniversary of the Charter, bishops from around the U.S. gathered at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis on June 14, at the start of their annual June meeting, for a Mass of Prayer and Penance. The bishops offered prayers for victims and survivors of abuse and joined together in penance for the sexual abuse that has occurred within the church. Each diocese is encouraged to designate its own Day of Prayer and Penance for victims and survivors of sexual abuse.
Shortly after implementation of the Charter, the Diocese of Honolulu established a Safe Environment program and since then has participated in all USCCB audits, achieving close to 100 percent compliance with the goals of the charter. One significant action the diocese has taken recently is the establishment of a safe environment liaison in each parish, appointed by the pastor. The safe environment liaison works directly with the pastor and the diocesan Safe Environment Office to ensure parish compliance with the requirements of the Charter.
While we recognize the progress the church has made over the past 15 years, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our most vulnerable; efforts that include responding to allegations of abuse in a timely manner, providing options for healing to victims and survivors, and developing effective programs to prevent future abuse. Building a culture of safety and recovery is a responsibility that belongs to every one of us.
For more information on the USCCB’s “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” and the Diocese of Honolulu’s child and youth protection efforts, contact Kristin Leandro, Safe Environment Director, at kleandro@rcchawaii.org or 203-6719.
