Lay Ministries: Confidentiality

[BayCityRickL]

Are there any lay ministers out there?

Is there an understanding or contract that lay ministers are bound by confidentiality, when they minister to people who may divulge any information to them?

In our parish, the pastor tried to create a pastoral team of lay pastoral associates. The whole idea seemed to go down in flames faster than I could ever imagine. The idea was that the pastoral associates would keep the pastor informed on the welfare and needs of the parish members.

I think people were very uncomfortable with the idea of sharing anything so personal as their spiritual needs with a neighbor, for right or wrong, or better or worse.

 

[Deacon_Tony560]

I ministered for many years before Ordination. Our pastor was interested in knowing about those who would need Communion in their homes or at the hospitals and rest homes. During hospital training, we were taught that what ever was said to us was confidential. If there was elder abuse or some bad situation going on, of course, we must report this . However, a minister should respect the confidentiality of those ministered to. After you visit them for a while, they really grow to trust you. You would not want to spoil that.

 

[asquared]

the code of ethics signed by all church employees and volunteers as part of the US Bishops program to address abuses specifically requires confidentiality to be respected, warns against gossip, scandal, discussions etc and other ways confidentiality might be breached. It also deals on when and how knowledge of abuse and wrongdoing must be reported and to whom. If a non-ordained person for some reason becomes privy to the contents of sacramental confession (i.e. hospital nurse, prison guard, deaf interpreter) they are bound be precisely the same seal of the confessional as the priest is.