The Catholic Church of Montreal has adopted a specific policy to prevent any type of abuse against minors and vulnerable adults and to promote a safe, opened and responsible conduct of Pastoral Activity. It is the Responsible Pastoral Policy.

In 2016, Archbishop Christian Lépine established the Responsible Pastoral Ministry Service and asked the parishes, missions and organizations of the diocese to implement the policy. 

The Diocesan Responsible Pastoral Ministry Policy aims to prevent all forms of abuse, to protect those who work within the Church - employees and volunteers - and to protect those who attend the Church.

This is achieved by paying special attention to so-called vulnerable persons: children, minors, the elderly, persons with intellectual disabilities, persons in psychological distress, etc.

The screening process is at the heart of the responsible pastoral policy. It allows us to select the best candidates and to exclude, as much as possible, anyone who could harm children or vulnerable adults. Developed by Volunteer Canada, the steps of the screening process have been adapted to our ecclesial reality. They allow parishes and organizations working within the Church of Montreal to acquire the means to ensure the sound management and supervision of their paid and volunteer staff. Screening begins before the formal recruitment and selection of a candidate. It is a human resources management activity designed to carefully scrutinize people who apply for a position and ensure an appropriate matching between the candidate and the assigned task. Finally, screening continues long after the candidate is hired through orientation, training, supervision, and support activities. 

To learn more about the Diocesan Responsible Pastoral Ministry Policy, the screening process and steps, or the Focus on the Victims of Abuse training, we invite you to visit our website:

https://diocesemontreal.org/en/archdiocese/responsible-pastoral-ministry