INTRODUCTION
PART A
Prelature Safeguarding Policy (PSP)
Global Policy of the Prelature of Opus Dei (“the Prelature”) on Safeguarding Minors and Vulnerable Persons in the context of the apostolic activities and Christian formation undertaken by the Prelature, issued on 22 February 2020. [1]
PreambleSince 2013, the Vicars of the various Regions of the Prelature have issued Safeguarding Policies for the investigation of allegations of sexual abuse of minors, made against faithful of the Prelature of Opus Dei, in accordance with the guidelines of the Congregation (now, Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith (hereinafter “DDF”) contained in the Letter of 3 May 2011, the indications of the various Episcopal Conferences and the laws of each State.
The Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis, has recently issued the Motu Proprio On the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons, of 26 March 2019, together with Law No. CCXCVII of Vatican City State, On the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons, of 26 March 2019 and the Directives for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons for the Vicariate of Vatican City, of 26 March 2019, and the Motu Proprio Vos estis lux mundi of 7 May 2019 (hereinafter “VELM”) [1A], in order to further strengthen the institutional and regulatory framework of the Church and to prevent and combat abuses against children and vulnerable persons.
Having regard to the content of these measures and with full commitment to their high purpose, I address to all the faithful of the Prelature the following directives, in which the indications given by the Roman Pontiff are gathered together and adapted to the specific pastoral activities of the Prelature.
General PrinciplesArt. 1 (PSP Art. 1)
The measures and procedures in this Prelature Safeguarding Policy (hereinafter “PSP”) have as their objective to foster and maintain an ethos that is respectful of and sensitive to the rights and needs of minors and vulnerable persons, and excludes the risk of exploitation, sexual abuse or ill-treatment occurring in the course of activities carried out under the auspices of the Prelature.
Art. 2 (PSP Art. 2)
Accordingly, these directives are addressed not only to all the faithful of the Prelature, but also to those who in one way or another collaborate in their initiatives of apostolic and Christian formation.
Art. 3 (PSP Art. 4)
The following objectives and principles inform every standard and procedure aimed at preventing and combating abuses against minors and vulnerable persons in activities under the auspices of the Prelature:
a) Objectives:
to promote awareness of and respect for the rights and needs of minors and vulnerable persons and to provide suitable training in safeguarding them,
to prevent any form of violence, physical or psychological abuse, negligence, neglect, ill-treatment, or exploitation,
to raise awareness of the obligation to report abuses to the competent authorities and to cooperate with them in measures aimed at preventing and combating abuses,
to effectively address any instance of abuse or ill-treatment of minors or vulnerable persons,
to provide victims and their families with suitable pastoral care, as well as, where relevant, appropriate medical, psychological, and legal support.
b) General principles of response:
to respect the rights of those who disclose that they have been victims, and of their families, to be welcomed, listened to and accompanied, and to have their reports or complaints dealt with through the appropriate channels,
to guarantee to all concerned a complaints procedure in accordance with the rule of law (cf. Codex Iuris Canonici, hereinafter “CIC”, Can. 221 §3), which respects both the presumption of innocence and the principles of legality and proportionality in criminal procedures,
to offer, in the case of someone found guilty of abusing a minor or vulnerable adult and promptly removed from their responsibilities, appropriate support for their psychological and spiritual rehabilitation, with a view to their social reintegration,
to do everything possible to restore the good name of anyone unjustly accused.
Art. 4 (PSP Art. 5)
The authorities of the Prelature commit themselves to treating those affected and their families with dignity and respect. In particular, they will offer:
a) to welcome, listen to and accompany them, using specialist services where appropriate,
b) to provide spiritual care,
c) to provide medical, therapeutic and psychological care, as the case may require.
Art. 5 (PSP Art. 6)
The good name, privacy and confidentiality of the personal data of those involved must be protected.
Art. 6 (PSP Art. 27)
For the local application of these directives, each Regional Vicar shall revise the safeguarding procedures for minors in his region, having regard to the model procedures issued with this Policy, the indications given by the Episcopal Conference of the region and the civil legislation in force.
PART B
Regional Safeguarding Policy (RSP)
Regional Policy on aspects of safeguarding, response and canonical investigations applicable in the context of the apostolic activities and Christian formation undertaken by the North-West Europe region of the Prelature of Opus Dei (“the Region”), issued on 12th September 2022.
PreambleArt. 7 (RSP Art. 1)
§1 The Catholic Church, and the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei as a jurisdictional entity within the Church, consider every form of abuse against minors to be a grave offence to God, because it defiles his image in those who are most vulnerable, his beloved ones, and wounds them with consequences which are very difficult to heal, thus lamentably contradicting central aspects of the faith and of Christian life. Crimes of this kind are particularly reprehensible when perpetrated by those who have committed themselves to helping others to follow Jesus Christ and his teachings, who should therefore faithfully witness to God's loving care for his little ones. For these reasons, the Church strives to safeguard against any such behaviour and if, in spite of everything, it should occur, to respond to it rigorously, both with penal sanctions and with other pastoral measures. In fact, "the effective protection of minors and a commitment to ensure their human and spiritual development, in keeping with the dignity of the human person, are integral parts of the Gospel message that the Church and all members of the faithful are called to spread throughout the world" (Chirograph for the institution of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, of 22 March 2014).
§2 The North-West Europe region of the Prelature of Opus Dei (hereinafter, "the Region"), under the jurisdiction of a Regional Vicar, was established by Decree of the Prelate on 10th April 2022. The constituent parts of the new region had previously adopted Safeguarding Policies, following the guidelines of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith given in the Circular Letter of 3 May 2011, which established that Bishops and other Ordinaries must have clear and coordinated procedures for dealing with complaints and other reports of sexual abuse of minors attributed to clerics.
A. In accordance with the Motu Proprio Vos estis lux mundi (hereinafter, "VELM") [1A], the Prelate of Opus Dei issued revised directives on 22 February 2020 (hereinafter, "Prelature Safeguarding Policy" or "PSP") against every form of abuse of minors and vulnerable persons, applying to the whole of the Prelature the general principles of safeguarding laid down by Pope Francis for the Vatican City in the Guidelines of 26 March 2019.
B. In fulfilment of the mandate given to him in the Prelature Safeguarding Policy, the Regional Vicar for North-West Europe issued the present "Regional Safeguarding Policy" (or "RSP") on 1st September 2022, which applies and elaborates the general policy, especially in regard to procedural matters, in accordance with the circumstances of the Region.
C. This RSP is supplemented for each of the several constituent areas of the Region by a "Local Safeguarding Policy" (or "LSP"), to address wider aspects of safeguarding practice in accordance with the local requirements of civil legislation, public policy and the guidance issued from time to time on behalf of the various Episcopal Conferences in each part of the Region.
Nature and Scope of the Regional PolicyArt. 8 (RSP Art. 2)
The scope of this Regional Policy encompasses any complaint or other report (hereinafter, "notitia" or "notitia de delicto" - cf. Can. 1717 §1 CIC) about the possible abuse or mistreatment of minors or vulnerable persons (cf. PSP Art. 3), the investigation of which is within the competence of the Regional Vicar, inasmuch as the abuse or mistreatment is attributed to persons, whether clergy or laity, who - at the time a notitia is received - are under his jurisdiction as faithful of the Region.
In this Policy, unless the context excludes it, vulnerable persons are to be taken as equivalent to minors, even if they are not expressly mentioned
§1 Without prejudice to RSP Art. 6, the scope of this Policy as regards lay faithful of the Region is limited to circumstances in which a notitia concerns actions taken by a lay person engaged in an apostolic activity of the Region - in which they give Christian formation or spiritual direction - under the authority of the Regional Vicar.
§2 In the case of a possible offence committed by a priest or deacon of the Region while engaged in a task entrusted to him by a diocesan authority, the Regional Vicar shall act in close coordination with that authority.
Art. 9 (RSP Art. 3)
If a notitia is received which concerns the actions - while engaged in an apostolic activity or in Christian formation entrusted to, or promoted by, the Region -
1° of sacred ministers not incardinated in the Prelature or of members of institutes of consecrated life, the Regional Vicar shall act in accordance with RSP Art. 31 and RSP Art. 33.
2° of lay persons who are not under his jurisdiction as faithful of the Region, the Regional Vicar or the Safeguarding Coordinator shall act in accordance with RSP Art. 31.
PART C
Local Safeguarding Policy – Ireland
Local safeguarding policies [2], standards, forms and guidance, both civil and ecclesiastical, covering the range of safeguarding issues and civil responsibilities arising in the context of the apostolic activities and Christian formation undertaken by the North-West Europe region of the Prelature of Opus Dei on the island of Ireland.
C-I | Ecclesiastical
NBSCCCI Safeguarding Children Policy and Standards for the Catholic Church in Ireland, 2024 [3]Art. 10 | The Safeguarding Children Policy Standards
There are three core standards in the Church’s Safeguarding Children Policy (the three standards are linked, and no standard is more important than another).
Leadership, Governance and Accountability
Nurturing a Culture of Safeguarding
Responding Pastorally and Reporting According to Civil and Canon Law
All Church personnel commit to following the Safeguarding Children Policy. Recognising the diverse nature of Church bodies, their range of ministries, and that not all have ministry with children, the applicability of the criteria relating to the child safeguarding standards will vary. To assist with understanding which criteria of the standards are applicable to the ministries offered by Church personnel, consideration should be given to the relevant criteria detailed in Appendix D of the Policy Statement, in accordance with the four colour-coded tables below:
Table 1 | Purple
The Church body has NO ministry with children and is NOT managing cases
Table 2 | Purple and Green
The Church body HAS ministry with children and is NOT managing cases
Table 3 | Purple, Green and Orange
The Church body HAS ministry with children and IS managing cases
Table 4 | Purple and Orange
The Church body has NO ministry with children and IS managing cases.
The set of criteria currently applicable to the Prelature of Opus Dei in Ireland is Table 2.
Applicable Criteria - Table 2Table 2 | Ministry with children but not managing cases
The Church authority demonstrates his personal commitment to safeguarding children through open and transparent communication in relation to safeguarding matters by delivering sermons, pastoral letters, addresses to meetings and newsletters, and through face-to-face meetings and personal engagement. This requires the Church authority to be personally available and to listen with openness, humility and compassion.
The Church authority puts in place a system of governance that identifies clear procedures, accountability structures and quality assurance, in which roles and responsibilities are explicit. These are all mirrored in the Strategic Safeguarding Plan of the relevant Church body.
In recognition of the challenges associated with safeguarding ministry, the Church authority should demonstrate his commitment through providing training, care and support for those in safeguarding ministry through initial and ongoing formation for clerics and lay personnel.
In recognition of the decision-making responsibilities and potential isolation of the role, mechanisms need to be developed to support Church authorities. These will include training for leadership, induction training in safeguarding and continuous professional and personal development to include skills and knowledge for leading in safeguarding challenges. Church authorities should have access to mentoring and support and a body of experienced personnel to support best practice.
Procedures for recruitment, including Garda vetting/AccessNI.
Induction and training.
Codes of behaviour for children involved in ministry and codes of conduct for adults that promote best practice and integrity in ministry.
Support for and supervision of those in child safeguarding roles.
Risk-assess and ensure that measures are put in place to manage risk to children so that children in Church ministry are safe and free from harm. In the ROI there is a legal requirement to complete a child safeguarding statement: Children First (2015), ROI only.
Procedures for managing external contexts, including visiting clerics and those ministering in external organisations and external groups using Church property.
Appropriate safeguards for using IT (information technology) and social media when engaging with children.
Procedures to create equal opportunities for children (empowering all children to participate, including children with specific needs and children whose first language is not English).
Procedures for dealing with complaints and whistleblowing.
The Church authority ensures that all reports of child safeguarding suspicions, concerns, knowledge or allegations are processed in line with civil and canon law requirements.
Access to appropriately trained and supported staff whose role it is to respond to allegations, suspicions, concerns and knowledge and report to the statutory authorities (without delay – see ‘Timeframes for reporting’ in Appendix A), canonical entities and the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.
What is this standard?
As a leader, the Church authority embodies and imparts the Catholic Church’s vision, principles and values, which are reflected and apparent in the child safeguarding culture, structures and practices at all levels and in all ministries with children and young people. This demonstrates, through words and actions, the Church authority’s personal commitment to fulfil the safeguarding mission of the Church. It has a responsibility to motivate and inspire others to fulfil the vision of this Safeguarding Children Policy.
Church authorities have a key governance responsibility to embed a culture of safeguarding. They, and all those with safeguarding roles, can demonstrate leadership by modelling positive engagement with children and young people; showing a personal commitment to promoting good safeguarding practice; and demonstrating empathy and understanding to those who have been harmed in the Church. This requires an ability to listen, to respond flexibly, to be confident and transparent, and to accept the challenge of being accountable. Church authorities influence all actions, to ensure that everyone in ministry fulfils their responsibility to safeguard children.
In practical terms, leadership and accountability involve:
Striving at all times to act with integrity, following the example of Jesus.
Ensuring that adequate structures, personnel practices and resources are provided to embed safeguarding at the core of ministry, and regularly reviewing these.
Engaging in systematic review of practice (including undertaking annual self audits and external reviews of practice) to enable learning for continuous improvement.
Being held accountable for compliance with all child safeguarding standards, including the Church’s commitment to keeping children safe and having a zero tolerance approach to abuse.
Applicable Criteria [Table 2]
To assist with the implementation of this standard, the following measures should be in place.
The Church authority demonstrates his/her personal commitment to safeguarding children through open and transparent communication in relation to safeguarding matters by delivering sermons, pastoral letters, addresses to meetings and newsletters, and through face-to-face meetings and personal engagement. This requires the Church authority to be personally available and to listen with openness, humility and compassion.
The Church authority puts in place a system of governance that identifies clear procedures, accountability structures and quality assurance, in which roles and responsibilities are explicit. These are specified in the Strategic Safeguarding Plan of the relevant Church body.
In recognition of the challenges associated with safeguarding ministry, the Church authority should demonstrate his/her commitment by providing training, care and support for those in safeguarding ministry, through initial and ongoing formation for clerics, male and female religious and lay personnel.
In recognition of the decision-making responsibilities and potential isolation of the safeguarding role, mechanisms need to be developed to support Church authorities. These will include training for leadership, induction training in safeguarding, and continuous professional and personal development to include skills and knowledge for leading in safeguarding challenges. Church authorities should have access to mentoring and support and a body of experienced personnel to support best practice.
Who is responsible for implementing this standard?
The Church authority has ultimate responsibility for implementing the Standard of Leadership, Governance and Accountability and enlists the support of Church personnel who work with children, including priests, safeguarding representatives, and the Safeguarding Committee.
What is this standard?
Implementing this standard ensures the creation and maintenance of a culture of safety, including a safe church environment that is welcoming of children.
Keeping children safe from harm is an imperative but, more than that, the Church will promote the well-being of children through their participation in the ministry of the Church. The Church will create and maintain environments that uphold children’s rights and that create nurturing, caring conditions where children will flourish in faith and love. Through fostering a culture of care, children feel safe and looked after and, in turn, they will be supportive of and respectful to their peers.
This culture of care extends to every person. The Church will support the adults who minister to and engage with children and their carers through training, guidance and supervision to ensure that children’s safety is promoted and upheld. Children and adults should feel that they can voice any concerns they have, and that these will be respected, listened to and acted on appropriately.
The Church authority will that ensure that:
Those who work with or minister to children are competent and supported in their role.
Environments in which children’s ministries are conducted are safe and risks are managed.
Applicable Criteria [Table 2]
To assist with the implementation of this standard, the following measures should be in place.
Procedures for recruitment, including Garda vetting/AccessNI
Induction and safeguarding training for all involved in Church ministry
Risk-assess and ensure that measures are put in place to manage risk to children so that children in Church ministry are safe and free from harm. In the Republic of Ireland (ROI) there is a legal requirement to complete a child safeguarding statement: Children First (2015)
Codes of behaviour for children involved in Church-related activities and codes of conduct for adults that promote best practice and integrity in ministry
Procedures to create equal opportunities for children (empowering all children to participate, including children with specific needs and children whose first language is not English)
Appropriate safeguards for using information technology (IT) and social media when engaging with children
Support for and supervision of those in child safeguarding roles Procedures for dealing with complaints, and for whistleblowing
Procedures for managing external contexts, including lay associations of the faithful; visiting clerics and male and female religious; those ministering in external organisations; and groups using Church property.
Who is responsible for implementing this standard?
The Church authority has ultimate responsibility for implementing the Standard of Nurturing a Culture of Safeguarding, and enlists the support of priests, safeguarding representatives, the Safeguarding Committee, and Church personnel who work with children.
What is this standard?
This standard is concerned with allegations of abuse; adherence to civil and canon law; caring for complainants; and ensuring a just process of inquiry.
The Catholic Church is committed to timely reporting of all allegations, responding with support and care to complainants of abuse and their families, and ensuring appropriate accompaniment for respondents. The Church will ensure a fair and just process of inquiry, and equip and support those tasked with responding to allegations, as outlined below:
All allegations, suspicions, concerns and knowledge of abuse (for definitions see Appendix A and Appendix B of the Policy Statement) that meet the threshold will be reported to civil and canonical entities, and to the National Board, within the timeframes for reporting outlined in Appendix A. Appropriate safeguards will be put in place to ensure that children are safeguarded while allegations are being investigated.
A response that is caring, compassionate and pastoral, which acknowledges the hurt experienced and which reflects the individual circumstances of the complainant, will be offered, in response to each person’s need. The support needs of the family (however described) of the complainant may also be considered.
The rights under civil and canon law of an accused cleric or male or female religious will be upheld. A presumption of innocence will be maintained unless there is evidence of guilt. All respondents will be offered pastoral support.
The Church authority cooperates with statutory authority personnel, relevant independent organisations (including the Charities Regulator, if appropriate) and experts in child safeguarding to ensure independent oversight.
Applicable Criteria [Table 2]
To assist with the implementation of this standard, the following measures should be in place.
The Church authority ensures that all reports of child safeguarding suspicions, concerns, knowledge or allegations are in line with civil and canon law requirements. [4]
The Church authority ensures access to appropriately trained and supported staff whose role it is to respond to allegations and report to the statutory authorities (without delay – see ‘Timeframes for reporting’ in Appendix A), canonical entities and the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Who is responsible for implementing this standard?
The Church authority has ultimate responsibility for implementing the Standard of Responding Pastorally and Reporting According to Civil and Canon Law, and enlists the support of mandated persons; Designated Liaison Persons (DLPs); advisors; support people; priests; advisory panel members; and canon and civil law advisors.
