FAQs
"Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal"
The Charter is a comprehensive set of procedures established by the USCCB in June, 2002 for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The Charter also includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability, and prevention of future acts of abuse.
The Charter directs action in all the following matters:
- Creating a safe environment for children and young people;
- Healing and reconciliation of victims and survivors;
- Prompt and effective response to allegations;
- Cooperation with civil authorities;
- Disciplining offenders;
- Providing for means of accountability for the future to ensure the problem continues to be effectively dealt with through a national Office of Child and Youth Protection and a National Review Board.
The
Charter takes serious steps to ensure the safety of children and discipline offenders. The
Charter requires that a single act of abuse of a minor by a cleric, past, present, or future, which has been admitted or otherwise determined, will bring about his removal from ministry.
Approximately 700 Catholic priests and deacons have been removed from ministry in the U.S.
The Charter requires dioceses and eparchies to report any cases of sexual abuse of a minor to the civil authorities. The Bishops have agreed to cooperate with civil authorities about reporting when the person making the allegation is no longer a minor. Additionally, dioceses and eparchies, in every instance, will support the right of the individual to make a report to civil authorities.
The development of the Charter's principles is built on the work of the Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse in the mid 1990s and their development of the document entitled Restoring Trust. Most recently, during 2000- 2001, the Ad Hoc Committee shifted their focus to education, prevention and review of diocesan policies for child-safe environments. Meetings with victims and victim advisory groups were conducted and the Restoring Trust materials were incorporated and further developed into the document we now know as the Charter.
The Charter was drafted by eight members of the Bishop's Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse. Additionally, two individuals who are experts in treating sexual abusers and two lay people, one of whom was himself a victim of abuse, were among those that authored the Charter.
A full copy of the Charter is available on this website. The Charter has been published in some diocesan newspapers and through special bulletins. Published copies of the Charter may be purchased here.
A minor is anyone under the age of 18. In canon law, a minor was considered any person under the age of 16. However in the exceptions to canon law granted by the Holy See for the U.S. in 1994 and renewed for 10 years in 1999, in sexual abuse cases, a minor is defined as anyone under the age of 18.
The intention in the Charter is to foster openness and transparency in the future. Therefore, confidentiality agreements will be considered only if a victim specifically requests that the matter remain confidential.
In the past, the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse formulated and recommended sexual abuse policies (Restoring Trust) that were geared to combat sexual abuse by clergy. Many dioceses instituted changes based on these policies; however, there was not universal adoption throughout the country. The Charter is the first comprehensive policy that all Bishops have agreed to implement throughout the United States.
Any act of sexual abuse of a minor which occurred prior to the Charter being implemented, but is brought forward now, will be considered relevant and subject to the Charter. The Charter pertains to acts of abuse in the past, present, and future.
There are a number of practices the Charter calls for that were not in consistent usage throughout dioceses in the United States. Among them are:
Dioceses and eparchies now will report any accusation of sexual abuse of a person who is a minor to the proper authorities and cooperate in their investigation.
Dioceses and eparchies must have a victim assistance coordinator to aid in the immediate pastoral care of persons who indicate they have been sexually abused by clergy or other Church personnel.
Dioceses and eparchies will not enter into confidentiality agreements except for grave and substantial reasons brought forward by the victim.
Dioceses and eparchies are to develop a communications policy that reflects a commitment to transparency and openness.
Dioceses will have review boards which will advise and assist the Bishop in assessing allegations of sexual abuse.
The Charter states that "for the sake of due process, the accused is to be encouraged to retain the assistance of civil and canonical counsel."
The goal of the Charter is to protect all our children in all environments, so that parents will be completely confident in the participation of their children in parish and school activities. This includes any interaction with priests, religious brothers and sisters, parents and all other adults associated with parishes. This approach is based on taking decisive, consistent action in an open, transparent manner.
Review boards exercise significant influence by providing consultation and advice to the Bishops in matters of sexual abuse, not only of minors, but in other instances of abuse as well. The boards are comprised of a majority of lay people who are not in the employ of the diocese and include subject matter experts in the field of sexual abuse. This is to assure that unbiased professional recommendations are provided to the Bishop.
In June, 2003, the Office of Child and Youth Protection began an audit process of all dioceses and eparchies throughout the U.S. An Annual Report on the Implementation of the Charter is prepared by the Office of Child and Youth Protection.
[As applicable, each bishop has coordinated implementation of the Charter with the appropriate religious orders of men. In addition, the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse has begun coordinating these issues with the Conference of Major Superiors of Men.]
The Essential Norms are "particular" canon law for the Bishops in the United States. The Essential Norms can be found on this web-site.
Particular law is canon law which applies only to a certain group. In the case of the Essential Norms, this "particular law" applies to Catholic Bishops in the United States.
Many of the elements of the Charter are replicated in the Essential Norms.
Non-compliance with the Essential Norms is subject to canonical penalty.
No, only the implementation of the Charter is audited. However, some elements of the Charter are replicated in the Essential Norms.