Conclusion – Child & Youth Protection

When church personnel represent the Church in faithful, authentic, and loving ways, others have their eyes opened to the beauty, wisdom and tradition of Church teaching. When church personnel seek and maintain the competency necessary to exercise their roles, we can have confidence that people are receiving the best we can offer. When church personnel foster the dignity of each person, and the best interest of others, people grow in insight as to who we are, what we believe, and how we live. And when church personnel live up to their duty of holding one another accountable to conduct and standards, we have the opportunity to meet challenges, correct wrongs, protect the community, and assist in helping the one who is falling short.

The strength of the Archdiocese of Baltimore can be found in the message of the Gospel and the church personnel who proclaim it in word and deed. They say along with St. Paul, “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Church personnel by actions, in what they say, what they do, and who they are speak the gospel. And they answer the challenge to live a life that is “worthy of the gospel.” Church personnel say to those with whom they minister and work, the words of St. Paul: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen_then the God of peace will be with you.”