The Charter

The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (en Español) was established by the USCCB in June 2002. The Charter provides a comprehensive set of procedures for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. This document is revised regularly to reflect the ongoing commitment of the bishops and includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability and prevention of future acts of abuse.

The Charter begins with an apology from the bishops:

“Since 2002, the Church in the United States has experienced a crisis without precedent in our times. The sexual abuse of children and young people by some deacons, priests, and bishops, and the ways in which these crimes and sins were addressed have caused enormous pain, anger and confusion. As bishops, we have acknowledged our mistakes and our roles in that suffering, and we apologize and take responsibility again for too often failing victims and the Catholic people in the past. From the depths of our hearts, we bishops express great sorrow and profound regret for what the Catholic people have endured.”

The Charter establishes the following provisions:

• Promoting healing and reconciliation of victims and survivors
• Making prompt and effective responses to allegations
• Cooperating with civil authorities
• Disciplining offenders
• Creating a safe environment for children and young people
• Establishing accountability to ensure the problem continues to be effectively dealt with through the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and the National Review Board.

Everything possible must be done to rid the Church of the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors and to open pathways of reconciliation and healing for those who were abused. ” Pope Francis

The CYP is part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and is located at the national headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Secretariat’s work is monitored by the National Review Board, which was also established by the bishops at the 2002 Dallas meeting. According to the Charter, the mandate of the CYP is threefold:

• To assist each diocese and eparchy in the United States in implementing safe environment programs to ensure safety and security for all children as they participate in church and religious activities

• To ensure compliance of the bishops with the responsibilities set forth in the Charter

• To prepare a public annual report describing the compliance of each diocese and eparchy with the provisions of the Charter

Each year the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee submits requested documentation to StoneBridge Business Partners, a specialty consulting firm headquartered in Rochester, New York, which provides forensic, internal, and compliance audit services to leading organizations nationwide.  On-site audits are conducted every three years, which include interviews with diocesan staff. 
 

The Annual Report