The Diocese of Phoenix has made great strides in fulfilling our promise to protect children, educate our communities, and bring healing to those who have suffered abuse.
In light of recent abuse scandals, now is an important time for the Church to recall what has been learned, to keep in prayer those who are victims, and to recommit ourselves to vigilance in our Catholic community to protect our children from the evils of abuse.
The U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, implemented in 2002, provided for the Diocese of Phoenix mandatory procedures and guidelines that are critical to these efforts.
The Diocese of Phoenix has taken great efforts to put in place systems that assist in keeping our young people safe, including screening of all clergy, religious, seminarians, employees and volunteers. The screening process involves completing an application, interviews, signing a code of ethics, and a background check which includes reference checks and fingerprinting for all clergy, religious, seminarians, employees, and volunteer leaders responsible for youth programs. All volunteers are required to complete a standard application and sign a code of ethics. Volunteers who directly serve minors are also required to complete a face-to-face interview and submit to reference and background checks. All clergy members, employees, and volunteers are also compared to the Arizona Sex Offender Registry Database on a continuous basis. Annual training is required for those in ministry, staff and volunteers.
Other areas that are key to keeping our young people safe include:
