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Pastoral Standards for Church Personnel

1.1 Core Principle 1: Church personnel are expected to represent the Church in faithful, authentic and loving ways.
1.1.1 Church personnel should conduct themselves in such a way that a person’s life provides authentic witness to gospel values.
1.1.2 Those charged with handing on the faith must teach, preach, counsel and provide vision in accord with the Church’s doctrinal, moral and spiritual tradition.
1.1.3 Church personnel in ministry should be persons of virtue willing to extend themselves to another in the name of Christ.
1.1.4 Those who represent the Church must do so in a way that is consistent with the Church’s tradition.
1.2 Core Principle 2: Church personnel are expected to seek and maintain competency in subject areas in which they are exercising their roles.
1.2.1 Church personnel must not act beyond their competence and shall advise individuals to seek other appropriate professional support when necessary.
1.2.2 Church personnel shall seek the training, certification or credentials necessary to perform their work.
1.2.3 Church personnel must have the theological competence necessary for their roles.
1.2.4 Church personnel seek guidance from their supervisors as to what is expected of them in the performance of their roles, how to conform to Archdiocesan policies and how well their performance meets expectations.
1.3 Core Principle 3: Church personnel are expected to foster the dignity of each person and be committed to the best interests of others.
1.3.1 Church personnel should be mindful of the power in relationships: both the power to do great good and the power to cause harm.
1.3.2 Church personnel who are in positions where they receive privileged access to information should respect appropriate levels of confidentiality.
1.3.3 Church personnel should maintain appropriate boundaries in relationships.
1.3.4 Church personnel should be familiar with and support the Statement of Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth,1 and fully comply with state and Archdiocesan reporting requirements.
1.3.5 Church personnel should be familiar with and support the Archdiocesan policies prohibiting harassment. (Harassment Policy Appendix A, Schools Harassment Policy Appendix B)
1.3.6 Church personnel shall be mindful of the dignity of all individuals, paying particular attention to the marginalized among us especially those with intellectual or physical disabilities, the very young and the frail elderly, the poor among us, and other special populations that may need advocacy.
1.3.7 Church personnel should perform their duties and responsibilities in good faith and avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
1.4 Core Principle 4: Church personnel are duty bound to hold one another accountable to conduct and standards appropriate to their respective roles.
1.4.1 Church personnel have the obligation to hold accountable those church personnel who do harm or cause scandal to the community.
1.4.2 Church personnel must observe the standards of competencies, ethics, and codes of conduct established in their fields.
1.4.3 Church personnel in positions of authority must screen and supervise staff and volunteers so that they are competent for the tasks required of them and their behavior is appropriate.
1.4.4 Supervisors must be trained in supervisory skills, including the use of progressive discipline techniques. (Appendix C)
1.4.5 Church personnel who fail or refuse to comply with this Code of Conduct for Church Personnel are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment or removal from volunteer service or pastoral assignment. Supervisors shall notify the appropriate Archdiocesan authority of serious violations of this Code of Conduct for Church Personnel of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

 

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