A Safe and Welcoming Church for Children and Vulnerable Adults.

This year Archbishop Farrell has asked us to focus on all the things we do to make our parish a safe and welcoming place for children and vulnerable adults.  The new child safeguarding policy for the Catholic Church in Ireland, launched in June of this year, is called A Safe and Welcoming Church. It replaces an earlier policy which was called Safeguarding Children. The reason for the new title is that we have come to a point where we recognise that safeguarding can no longer be seen as a response to a crisis, brought about by abuse within the Church and the failure of many Church authorities to adequately address this abuse. Now we understand safeguarding as deeply rooted in gospel values, scripture, and church teaching.  Further, we commit ourselves not just to the prevention of harm but to the promotion of good, to the creation of the material and spiritual conditions for children’s full development, as described by Pope Francis.

Safeguarding Committee,

Blackrock Parish.