Safeguarding

A Safe and Welcoming Church

The Irish College is committed to following the Safeguarding Children Policy and Standards for the Catholic Church in Ireland 2024

Download the National Safeguarding Children Policy

 

Safeguarding Children Policy statement

The Gospel teaches the importance of ensuring that the Catholic Church community is a warm, welcoming and safe place for children.

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (Mark 10:14-15)

Children are gifts from God, to be cherished and recognised for the joyful contribution they make as valued members of the Church. Our challenge is to follow the example of Jesus in cherishing them. Safeguarding is key to this important task and should be seen, not as a burden, but as an opportunity to embrace and encourage children’s
ministry, following the example of Jesus Christ.

This Church body pledges to safeguard children and young people from harm and to support them in their development as valued and integral members of the Catholic Church in Ireland. The Church’s ministry will be inclusive and will uphold their rights.

Consistent with Gospel values, and with civil and criminal law, those who minister will do so with dignity and integrity, honouring their calling to ensure that children and young people are welcomed, cherished and protected, following the example set by Jesus.

This Safeguarding Children Policy will be honoured and complied with by all ordained clerics, by vowed female and male religious, and by all lay staff and volunteers in the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Vision and Mission

This quote from Pope Francis focuses on our role of welcoming and supporting children in the life of the Church.

Our generation must show that it can rise to the promise found in each [child and] young person when we know how to give them space. This means that we have to create the material and spiritual conditions for their full development, to give them a solid basis on which to build their lives; to guarantee their safety and their education to be everything they can be; to pass on to them lasting values that make life worth living; to give them a transcendent horizon for their thirst for authentic happiness and their creativity for the good; to give them the legacy of a world worthy of human life; and to awaken in them their greatest potential as builders of their own destiny, sharing responsibility for the future of everyone. If we can do all this today, we anticipate the future that enters the world through the window of the young. (1)

Pope Francis reminds us that,

‘in the Confiteor, we ask forgiveness not only for the wrong we have done, but also for the good we have failed to do’. (2)

In the past, the Catholic Church in Ireland failed in its duty to protect children and young people. Previous Church policies have focused on establishing consistent standards to prevent abuse and assist the Church on its journey to learn from the mistakes of the past and ensure that children’s safety is a core part of its mission.

Even when the path forward is difficult and demanding, I urge you not to get bogged down; keep reaching out, keep trying to instil confidence in those you meet and who share with you this common cause. Do not grow discouraged when it seems that little is changing for the better. Persevere and keep moving forwards! (3)

Inspired by Pope Francis’ words, this new child safeguarding policy builds on the foundations of past learning and experiences. The policy provides a new focus on leadership and governance to embed a culture of safeguarding where: • The Church has an important role to play in creating and maintaining an environment in which children and young people can grow and flourish in their humanity and come to experience the dignity that Jesus proclaimed.

• Children will be welcome and safe.
• Church personnel will uphold the rights of children, in line with Gospel values.

1. Pope Francis (2013) Apostolic Journey to Rio De Janeiro on the Occasion of the XXVII World Youth Day, Welcome Ceremony, Address of Pope Francis. Vatican City: Liberia Editrice Vaticana. p. 2. Available at: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2013/july/documents/papa-francesco_20130722_gmg-cerimonia-benvenuto-rio.html (accessed 6 February 2024).
2. Pope Francis (2023) Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, p. 2. Available at: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2023/may/documents/20230505-pontcom-tutelaminori.html (accessed 6 February 2024).
3. Ibid.

Principles

Ministry with children based on scripture
The words and actions of Christ guide engagement with children. Throughout his teachings, Jesus places a sacred obligation on all who minister in the Catholic Church to uphold human dignity, including the dignity of children.

Ministry with children based on national law, canon law and government regulation
The Church upholds the civil, criminal and canon laws relating to the care and protection of children, within the jurisdictions in which it ministers (a full list of relevant legislation is set out in Appendix C). Church personnel will honour and uphold their legal responsibility (in line with mandatory reporting obligations) to report all allegations, knowledge, suspicions and concerns of child abuse to civil and canonical entities, and to manage the risk to children.

Ministry with children based on the Constitution of Ireland, children’s rights and international treaties
The Church will uphold the moral and legal obligation to fulfil children’s rights commitments as articulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the Constitution of Ireland and other relevant international treaties. This includes ensuring the safety of children in all ministries, and having children participate in the decisions and activities that affect them.

Caring for complainants
The response to complainants will be pastoral, caring and compassionate. This approach must be about listening, acknowledging the hurt experienced by the complainant and their family, and offering support that reflects the individual needs and circumstances of the complainant on their journey towards healing. The Church will engage with the complainant in order to ensure that they have a voice in deciding the appropriate support response.

Providing a fair and just process for respondents
The Church will ensure a just and fair process that upholds the rights of an accused cleric or a male or female religious under civil and canon law, maintaining a presumption of innocence unless there is an admission of guilt or a finding of guilt. Throughout all investigative and canonical processes, the Church will engage with the relevant statutory and ecclesiastical authorities to ensure that risk to children is appropriately assessed and managed.

Acknowledging the safeguarding journey of the Church
The abuse of children in the Catholic Church in Ireland happened and must never be forgotten. Children were harmed. Progress has been made in establishing and responding to the truth of what happened. Therefore, it is recognised that safeguarding is a core and important part of ministry. The Church commits to continuing this journey of justice, truth, healing, and preventing abuse.