Church Announces Child-Protection Guidelines

A Catholic Church body responsible for safeguarding children will today announce new guidelines.

The National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church (NBSC) will publish revised and updated guidelines, after recent controversy over practices in the Cloyne diocese.

On December 19th Cloyne diocese published a report from the NBSC that described child protection practices there as "inadequate and in some respects dangerous".

Bishop John Magee was been severely criticised after publication of the report on the mishandling of allegations relating to clerical sex abuse in the Cloyne diocese.

The matter was brought into national headlines after priest Fr Michael Mernagh, 70, made a 300km walk of atonement Cork to Dublin in protest of Bishop Magee's refusal to step down.

A spokesman for the NBSC said the new document Safeguarding Children extends the principles outlined in the body's previous guidelines, Our Children, Our Church.

From these principles, the spokesman said, seven standards have been developed which represent best practice in the field of safeguarding children, in the Church and all related Church activities.

"The guidance will be circulated over the coming months to all Dioceses, Congregations and Religious Communities, and will replace OCOC as the standards to be followed in protecting children," the spokesman said.

He added: "The National Office will run a series of seminars and information sessions when distributing Safeguarding Children, starting with a meeting of Diocesan Delegates in January 2009. Congregational designated officers, their Leaders and other key people will be invited to attend regional events early during Spring, 2009."

(DW/BMcC)