Foundational Documents in Safeguarding Ministry
In August 2002, following the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People by the United States bishops, the members of CMSM made a commitment to apply the charter and norms to religious institutes. Praesidium Inc., a sexual abuse prevention organization, worked with CMSM to develop “Accreditation Standards for Catholic Men’s Religious Institutes.”
The standards have been updated by Praesidium every four years in consultation with CMSM.
CMSM
- Praesidium, Inc’s Accreditation Standards for Catholic Men’s Religious Institutes (2020)
- Safeguarding Timeline (with links to CMSM statements)
- CMSM education (webinars, annual workshop, and more)
Charter/Norms and Annual Reports (USCCB)
- Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and Essential Norms | Spanish
- Additional USCCB documents
- Annual Reports (religious and diocesan safeguarding data)
Vatican Documents
- Vatican website with links to these and additional safeguarding documents in multiple languages
- Vos estis lux mundi (2019 motu proprio, updated in 2023)
- Vademecum on certain points of procedure in treating cases of sexual abuse of minors by clerics (2020, updated 2022)
- Instruction on the Confidentiality of Legal Proceedings (2019)
- Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela (2002 motu proprio)
- Tutela Minorum (Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors)
- Book VI of the Code of Canon Law (updated penal code concerning abuse)
Additional Child Protection Resources
- Institute of Anthropology of the Pontifical Gregorian University
- Union of Superiors General
- Virtus (online education)
- Child Abuse Prevention Month Resources: Federal