March 9, 2025 - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington's Safe Environment Policy

I want to present now five things to know about the new and updated policy,

 

1.     The Archdiocese of Washington has had a written Policy in place since 1986. Our Policy was one of the first adopted nationwide, and it has been regularly reviewed and updated, most recently in 2024.  

2.     The updated Safe Environment Policy published in 2024 is organized into five sections that correspond to the five pillars that are the foundation of our safe environment efforts. Our Policy implements a comprehensive safe environment program (Section I); prioritizes care and healing for survivors of abuse and their families (Section II); mandates reporting of suspected abuse (Section III); explains the process of how the Archdiocese responds to allegations (Section IV); and ensures that we maintain trust through accountability and transparency (Section V).

3. The Archdiocese’s comprehensive safe environment requires mandatory criminal background checks and training in abuse prevention and awareness.  These requirements, which are found in Section I of the Policy, apply to all clergy and seminarians as well as all employees and volunteers who minister to young people and vulnerable adults.

4. Our safe environment program also includes an educational component for young people. Section I of the Policy requires annual training and educational programs as part of the curriculum for minors and vulnerable adults who are enrolled in Archdiocesan schools, religious education, or similar programs.

5. Our Safe Environment Policy prioritizes our commitment to offering pastoral care and assistance for survivors of abuse and their families.  The Archdiocese maintains a dedicated Office of Save Environment, as well as a Victim Assistance Coordinator who arranges for appropriate, compassionate, and timely pastoral care for survivors and their families.  More information can be found in Section II of the Policy.

 

Until next week,

Fr. John