Church volunteering and background checks

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Sursumcorda1

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A parishioner mentioned that every single volunteer in the church (and not just those who deal with children and vulnerable adults such as the elderly) should fill out Safe Environment paperwork and agree to be background-checked. If a church actually undertook that task, I wondered about those parishioners who may have some civil mistake in their past, but they went to confession and were absolved of their sins. If they were absolved, then they are in communion with the church. Therefore, why eliminate them because of some previous offense in civil law?
 
A parishioner mentioned that every single volunteer in the church (and not just those who deal with children and vulnerable adults such as the elderly) should fill out Safe Environment paperwork and agree to be background-checked.
That may be the policy in your diocese. It is not the policy in ours.
I wondered about those parishioners who may have some civil mistake in their past, but they went to confession and were absolved of their sins.
The background check is a criminal background check.

Civil matters are not in a criminal background check.
If they were absolved, then they are in communion with the church . Therefore, why eliminate them because of some previous offense in civil law?
A person is eliminated for sexual offense or other offenses that could imperil young people such as assault, drugs, etc.

I don’t think you understand your diocesan policies or maybe the person talking to you isn’t clear on what offenses would eliminate a person from volunteering.

Call your diocesan safe environment director at your diocese and ask about those policies and procedures.
 
This was a hypothetical question based on someone’s musings. For example, a lector who has a previous DUI or a hospitality volunteer with writing bad checks, or an usher who has some kind of past criminal charge, etc. would be eliminated or at least flagged because of confessed and absolved sins. Our parish only does the required background checks on catechists and vulnerable adult ministries.
 
would be eliminated or at least flagged because of confessed and absolved sins.
Um, no.

They it would be for their criminal record, which is public record. Criminal activity has consequences.

A DUI, bad check, etc, would not prevent someone from serving in ministry.
 
A parishioner mentioned that every single volunteer in the church (and not just those who deal with children and vulnerable adults such as the elderly) should fill out Safe Environment paperwork and agree to be background-checked. If a church actually undertook that task, I wondered about those parishioners who may have some civil mistake in their past, but they went to confession and were absolved of their sins. If they were absolved, then they are in communion with the church . Therefore, why eliminate them because of some previous offense in civil law?
It is mandatory in my Diocese to have background checks and police working with children checks. These are for potential criminal behaviour that would endanger vulnerable people
 
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We do a criminal background check on all volunteers but only require Safe Environment training for those who will working with children
 
I live in an archdiocese touched deeply by the scandals. Now the policy in place is really crazy. I couldn’t bring my own child to cut out in the parish some Christmas paper ornaments unless I had virtue training and background check for myself since to supervise my own child I would have stayed in the same room with other children. We are talking about a one hour event, only once per year!!! Ah, by the way, no parents were involved in the abuse cases in the archdiocese that for weeks filled up the national news…
 
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I don’t want to derail this topic too much, but it has become kind of a sore socio-political protest as far as I am concerned.

I have made a choice to fall out of compliance with my parish and diocese (and I don’t know what will happen when my credentials with the KofC expire). Part of this decision related to the bishops only figuring out in the last year or 18 months “Hey, we have to police ourselves too”
OH MY GOSH, WHAT COULD YOU IRRESPONSIBLE McCARRICK-ENABLERS HAVE BEEN THINKING!?!? CLEAN YOUR HOUSE FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!

And partly it is informed by the experience of an acquaintance who is an author of spiritually valuable books and articles. He has developed a reputation that sometimes gets him invited to speak to groups and conferences and whatnot. Writing pays his bills. Speaking engagements are a bonus.

And when he’s invited to another diocese, they want him to go through their vetting process.

“Oh, you can just ask my home diocese.”

“No, we can’t.”

"Huh.
Well, here’s your stipend check back. Have a nice conference."


I’ve been told there are “privacy issues” why they cannot vouch for someone outside their diocese. What kind of child protection program is it that you can’t tell anyone the results of? It seems an awful lot of trouble to go through to avoid those formerly commonplace headlines about “volunteer liturgical reader suspected of child abuse”.
Oh, wait – That was never the headline.

These programs do not seem to be protecting children – Clearly. They are protecting diocesan bank accounts – And that is a fine thing to protect, but don’t pretend it is protecting children. 2️⃣ ©️ ©️
 
In USA, the privacy issues are likely tied to the state law on background checks. (Outside USA, I don’t know the laws as well, but privacy laws are usually even more stringent outside USA.)

Normally, an employer cannot share information it finds during a background check with people or entities outside the organization. It can only use that information for the purpose of doing its own background check. I would guess the same thing likely applies for volunteers or any other person whom the organization performs a background check on.

In USA, we have the public registered sex offender lists as a form of public notice about sex offenders in one’s neighborhood, in order to protect children, and there’s enough controversy over that without allowing every diocese or employer to tell other dioceses, employers, organizations etc that Joe Smith has a prior conviction.

And I don’t have any problem with parishes and dioceses wanting to protect their money; it’s donated by the parishioners in that diocese, and we would all prefer that it goes for the things we intended it for, such as diocesan administration and building maintenance, rather than into the pockets of somebody bringing a lawsuit. That’s just good stewardship.

If someone is making money off a paid speaking engagement, and has passed a background check in his home diocese, I’m a bit mystified why he’d make a fuss about going through a background check in another diocese, but it’s his choice whether to go through the check for the purposes of making the money, or skip the background check and forego the engagement and the pay for it. I don’t think dioceses should have to adjust all their processes just because some invited speaker refuses to play by their rules.
 
I’ve been told there are “privacy issues” why they cannot vouch for someone outside their diocese.
I’m not sure who told you that. But it likely isn’t the reason.

We are on the border between two diocese and I’ve had some teachers that live in our diocese and work in the other one get POed because I cannot accept the other diocese’s training and paperwork. They have to do mine too.

It is because my diocese is responsible for its own vetting process. They must actually do the background check and have the records on file. I must train the people on safe environment and on our diocesan process and policies. Same thing with the public school teachers who also volunteer. We don’t accept the paperwork and training they do in public school. It’s nice that they do it, but we must still do our own.

We cannot rely on what some other entity may have done— in case it is not accurate for some reason, whatever reason.

The only “privacy issue“ may be one is state law or employment law, not of Church making.

Now that said, I’ve never heard of a parish speaker having to do a background check to speak at a large event. Only if it is a youth event and he will have contact with children.
M
 
Yes, ours, too. Every single volunteer (and married ones, too!) undergoes two background checks. I think one is basic, to see if you have a record and what for. The other is specially for sex crimes. We now have a “Safe Environment” lady in the office who keeps track of our background checks and when they expire.

EVERY volunteer goes through both checks, no matter what they volunteer for. I’m over 70, and I had to be checked out just to set up the tables for the fish fry and to help out at the Big Garage Sale. At first glance, it’s a goofy rule, but then you stop and think. The churches have to have all of their bases covered. There cannot be one chance in a million of a felon getting through the system. So I think it’s a good rule.
 
The policy also makes it easier for volunteers who begin in one parish activity/ministry to migrate into another. For example, someone might start out cleaning the floors after hours (no children present) and another day find themselves helping with the children’s Christmas play.
 
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