Protecting God's Children

  • Thread starter Thread starter jfz178
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jfz178

Guest
I’m certified in The Church’s “Protecting God’s Children” program, which I recommend to anyone who has a passion about preventing sexual predation in The Church, whether committed by priests or anyone else. It is supposedly required for all Church personnel and volunteers who can possibly deal with children. Unfortunately, some dioceses and parishes are more rigorous about that rule than others and I am hearing less and less about the program lately. I had to get the certification a few years ago because I was a music minister and our choir occasionally had minors in it.

At first I thought, “What a waste of my time” but I have to say I found it to be an exceptionally well designed program that I was glad I went through. You have to submit to a law enforcement background check and get references from parishes you’ve been a part of. Then you take a day-long class that is really well done. It seems to be in sync with modern understanding of predation.

Part of its approach is that you prevent predation by making it impossible for anyone to molest. No adult should ever be completely alone with a child behind a closed door on Church property or at a Church sponsored event. Confession is an exception, but another adult should be nearby. Any lapse in that discipline, not even an accusation of misconduct, has to be reported immediately to one level of The Church hierarchy higher than the person suspected and if the person reporting does not feel the response is satisfactory, they must go higher. Every level of The Church is required to take those reports seriously, and conduct a full, impartial investigation immediately. Even allowing the possibility of a problem is an offense under this program. Also, children should be taught about the possibility and what do if it happens. The class teaches techniques for doing that. It is a solid program that could have prevented this whole problem if it were in place 30 years ago.

It pains me to see that this great program is not being promoted in The Church anymore. Does your diocese and parish promote it? Have you even heard of it? Have your been through it? I would like to get opinions about it.
 
“PGC” is actually required for any adult Scouters who work with a Cub Scout Pack or Boy Scout Troop chartered by a RCC.

I believe it’s also required for any lay people working with the parish (CCD teachers, etc.)

I don’t know how true it is, but I was told that it was modeled after the Scouts “Youth Protection Training”
 
Last edited:
Here we call it Virtuus. I have been through the program too and it’s very important for those who work with children and the vulnerable.
 
Our archdiocese has a similar program. It’s titled Called to Protect.
 
These sound like great programs. I’ve also noticed that more confessionals are being designed, or redesigned, with a big glass panel in the door so people outside can easily see into the confessional though they cannot hear anything. Seems like a good step.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
These sound like great programs. I’ve also noticed that more confessionals are being designed, or redesigned, with a big glass panel in the door so people outside can easily see into the confessional though they cannot hear anything. Seems like a good step.
Click to expand...
I don’t understand why that would be necessary if the confessor and penitent are separated by a wall / grilled window etc.

If any glass panel is proposed, put it in the priest’s door.
 
As long as both people stay on the same side of the wall!

A lot of confessionals in my diocese are just little rooms with a partition, a couple of chairs and no windows. And they are sound-proof. A lot of molesting could go on in there.
 
jfz178 said:
It pains me to see that this great program is not being promoted in The Church anymore.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure why you think it’s gone by the wayside.
The charter for protection of young people governs, and safe environment isn’t optional, anywhere.
jfz178 said:
Does your diocese and parish promote it? Have you even heard of it? Have your been through it?
Click to expand...
Dioceses can implement one of many programs— Protecting God’s Children, Virtus, or their own program. Our diocese has their own. While the program contents and logistics differ, they share common features of the background and reporting protocols and training for staff, volunteers, and children— required elements.
 
Rau said:
I don’t understand why that would be necessary if the confessor and penitent are separated by a wall / grilled window etc.
Click to expand...
In the USA in the last few years, I have never seen a “wall/ grilled window” that fully separates priest and penitent. It was like that when I was a kid, before they began allowing face-to-face confession, but in recent years, the “wall” is always partially cut away so that a person could go down to where the partition ends and sit in a chair facing the priest, or choose to just kneel on the kneeler behind the grille, but there is still easy access by either party to the other’s side by just going around the partition.
 
Last edited:
I see. Restoring the dividing wall would be the preferable course (IMO).
 
Virtus here in Virginia…we get monthly ‘readings’ on hot topic issues. Our religious classes (I teach at a catholic school) seems to use the topics as lesson guides as well. I teach science, but my kids know I’m willing to discuss this stuff if they want. It’s a good program and (I think) helps keep everyone on the same page, so to speak.
 
Most cases of abuse happened with children who were 14-18. In some of these cases, the child was quite ignorant about how to stop it, but in many such cases, the child understood quite well how to stop it, and (for a variety of complex reasons that psychologists could tell us about) chose not to stop it. I hope they taught you about that, too.
 
I’m in Virginia also, but I did not take the course here. I took it in though Virtus in Pittsburgh, but then had my certification transferred to the Diocese of Richmond. How do I get on the monthly readings mailing list?
 
Rau said:
I see. Restoring the dividing wall would be the preferable course (IMO).
Click to expand...
This could probably be done in the churches (mostly older) that use standard wooden confessionals. Many of the new “modern” churches built since the 1970s do not have special “confessionals” but instead just a small, general-purpose room that has a standard door with a window in it, and inside a temporary partition with screen/ kneeler has been installed; you can use the kneeler and screen, or walk around the end of the temporary partition to do face to face. This is in keeping with the whole design of the buildings, which seem to be set up so that if the church has to close or sell the building to a different faith or even for a whole different use, there is very little specifically “Catholic” about the space except easily removable items like a few statues and crucifixes.
 
I will add that if you do a Confession by appointment, it will probably happen in the priest’s office.
 
I’m also curious, jfz – in this program, did they discuss the difficult balance that can exist when children really do need affection and concern that they aren’t getting at home, especially in impoverished areas? This is a big problem. It is surely not a very human or very Catholic form of ministry that says that human touch is off-limits for children who need hugs and emotional reassurance. I’m not even saying that these things are wise, in our current environment. But kids are hurt by standoffishness and “prudence”, too.
 
They did not address it specifically, but it would not be discouraged in the program I took as long as it was not behind closed doors and there were other adults nearby.

I took the course several years ago and it has evolved. I just went on the Virtus website and I see they have expanded the program to deal with touching specifically. They have a course for kids about appropriate and inappropriate touching and hopefully the main course for adults now includes those guidelines.

I also see they have expanded their offerings to include dealing with bullying, which I think is great.
 
Prodigal_Son said:
It is surely not a very human or very Catholic form of ministry that says that human touch is off-limits for children who need hugs and emotional reassurance.
Click to expand...
Implementing a safe environment does not mean you cannot touch a child in any manner.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top