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	Archdiocese's Child Protection Policies Have Set New Standard Catholic Sentinel July 13, 2010 http://www.catholicsentinel.org/Main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=35&ArticleID=11975 Accusations of clergy sex abuse in Europe have set off a media blitz in the U.S. Lost in the hype are the scores of measures that western Oregon Catholics working in parishes, schools and other church organizations have taken in the past 10 years to prevent abuse, actually making the Catholic Church a leader in child protection. The Archdiocese of Portland's Office for Child Protection/Victim Assistance, ahead of the national curve, offers ongoing emotional, psychological and spiritual services abuse victims. The office also aims to increase preventative screening, training and education. An updated code and standard of conduct for working with children spell out the true mission of the archdiocese and policy on touch and relationships. The archdiocese encourages direct reporting of suspected abuse to civil authorities. Clergy and employees of the archdiocese, high schools, parishes and parish schools are required to have background checks at the time of placement. The background check needs to be renewed when the person moves to a new location within the archdiocese. Employee background checks became a requirement in 1995 as part of ordinary hiring procedures. Background checks for volunteers working with minors were required beginning in 2002 and must be renewed every three years. In the past three years, almost 60,000 background checks have been processed by police for nearly 25,000 employees or volunteers in the archdiocese. Any priest or religious coming from outside the archdiocese and engaged in public ministry here is required to have a Testimonial of Suitability from his or her bishop or major superior. More than 1,700 testimonials for priests have been obtained to date. The testimonial must be renewed if the priest comes into the archdiocese again after one year. All clergy and employees of the archdiocese, archdiocesan high schools, parishes and parish schools and volunteers who work regularly with children are required to attend the Called to Protect training within the first 60 days of working with minors. More than 15,500 people have been trained in the program. Before Called to Protect, almost 10,000 people were trained in the Safe Environment Program. An annual update of training is required for clergy, employees and volunteers who work regularly with minors. People make time in their busy schedules to fit in the training. Prevention education for parents is offered every year in each institution. About 40,000 parents and adult family members have had the course. Personal safety education for children attending archdiocesan high schools, parish schools, or parish religious education or youth ministry programs must be offered every year at each location. Last year, about 18,000 children were trained. Archdiocese of Portland policy requires all personnel to report suspected child abuse in accordance with Oregon law. Church personnel will cooperate fully with civil authorities in their investigation of a child abuse report. If the accused is a priest or deacon, the archdiocese also follows canon law. Church law requires that the archbishop begin a preliminary investigation of the allegations. The accused priest or deacon normally will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. If there is sufficient evidence that sexual abuse of a minor has occurred, the archbishop is required to report his findings to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The congregation then determines how to proceed. The archbishop can further restrict a cleric placed on administrative leave, such as requiring him to live in a certain place. The accused is urged to go through medical and psychological evaluations. When even a single act of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest or deacon is admitted or established according to law, the offending priest or deacon is permanently removed from ministry. The U.S. bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People requires that each diocese and archdiocese establish a Ministry Review Board that functions as a confidential consultative body to the bishop. The archdiocese's board has been meeting regularly since 2002. It consists of 10 members — a retired State Supreme Court justice, an attorney, two physicians, a clinical social worker, a doctor of clinical psychology, an abuse survivor, and two lay people with extensive community experience and a priest. The board advises the archbishop on abuse allegations and suitability for ministry. Working both retrospectively and prospectively, the board reviews diocesan policies and procedures. Like all dioceses, the Archdiocese of Portland is regularly audited for its adherence to the bishops' charter and the suitability of its programs dealing with the safety of children and young people. The archdiocese has been found compliant in every audit. The next on-site audit is scheduled for October. As for prayer and penance, the archdiocese has had 25 Ember Days of prayer and fasting for the healing and reconciliation of victims. There have been 16 archdiocesan Masses or prayer services for the same intentions. The archbishop has met with any victim who has wanted to see him. "There are no words that can adequately express the damage that abuse causes to a child's spirit," Archbishop Vlazny writes in a letter sent to Catholics in western Oregon July 12. "There is no language that can fully express the sorrow of the Church at this betrayal of trust." Along with another in a series of acknowledgments and apologies, the July 12 letter explains child protection policies in the archdiocese. The executive committee of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council suggested that Archbishop John Vlazny inform Catholics about the efforts, which have accompanied a large drop-off in abuse allegations. "It is a task that we have undertaken with all seriousness," Archbishop Vlazny writes. "Our accomplishments in this respect, even though they cannot in any way compensate for the harm done in the past, still give us hope for a future where all God's children are loved and cared for as Jesus would." Acknowledging that the local church has been "shamed over the revelations of sinful behavior on the part of clergy, religious and even some laity in this archdiocese which has been so harmful to many of our children," the archbishop urged Catholics to pray that penance would bring healing and reconciliation. Saying that sexual abuse of children is widespread in society at large, the archbishop explained that protecting children is one part of the church's seminal commitment to protecting human life and respecting the dignity of every human person. "Our intent," the archbishop told Catholics, "is that sexual abuse of minors will never happen again within the Archdiocese of Portland." A person who wishes to contact the archdiocese about past or present child abuse by church personnel can call 503-416-8810
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