Preface

Líneas Guía de América · Canadá

Preface

The protection of minors has been a major priority of Catholic leadership in Canada and the faithful in general since the 1980s. While the historical engagement of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in the area of prevention remains relevant and valuable to this day,1 important changes effectuated by the Holy See in 2010 regarding the canonical response to cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy would require the updating of diocesan norms. A Circular Letter issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on 3 May 2011 made it clear that episcopal conferences were to assist dioceses with the implementation of these new canonical procedures. Attentive to the lessons learned through the experience of the Catholic Church in Canada of dealing with sexual abuse, and responding to the call of the Circular Letter, the bishops of Canada established in September 2014 an ad hoc committee to elaborate a new CCCB document. This document would bring the Conference’s current norms up to date with a unique emphasis on the priority of protection as well as prevention, emphasizing the need for a proactive rather than a reactive response.

Over the next four years, the ad hoc committee members laboured on a draft of the present document. Various consultants from different sectors of the Church and diverse professions, including psychology, psychiatry, secular and canon law, social work, insurance, journalism, and theology were invited to review and contribute to this text. In a particular way, the Guidelines, being the canonical norms contained in Part II, were assessed by the Congregation of the Doctrine of

the Faith to ensure compliance with the expectations of the Holy See, which it so confirmed. Following the approval in principle of a proposed outline of the document by the bishops at their 2015 annual plenary meeting, the final version, upon completion, was ultimately approved for publication by the Permanent Council on 20 June 2018.

At this time, confident of the encouragement received from so many individuals and speaking on behalf of this Episcopal Conference, I offer the present document, Protecting Minors From Sexual Abuse: A Call to the Catholic Faithful in Canada for Healing, Reconciliation, and Transformation, as a resource to Catholic bishops and major superiors in Canada. I offer it, as well, in their name, to all of the Catholic faithful and all men and women of good will, in the spirit of transparency and accountability, as a sign of the commitment of the bishops of Canada to the healing of victims and the protection of minors. To each of the dedicated and generous individuals involved in its redaction, I extend sincere and profound gratitude. With my fellow bishops, I join my own prayers and actions for a future which will be rid of the evil, the ignorance, and the errors responsible for so much pain and suffering. May the content of this document inspire, instruct, and transform all those who read it, most especially the leadership of the Catholic Church in our country.

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

29 June 2018

Lionel Gendron, P.S.S. Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil

President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops