In the Archdiocese of Gniezno, a draft of guidelines for the protection of children during a pastoral visit, i.e. the so-called carols. According to them, ministers, among others, they cannot be left alone without supervision. They should also have constant telephone contact with the caroling priest and parents. The project will apply to all parishes in the Archdiocese of Gniezno. Its creation is the result of the so-called Kamilek's Act.
Father Wojciech Rzeszowski, delegate for the protection of children and youth in the Archdiocese of Gniezno, talked about the details of the draft guidelines regarding the protection of altar servers during Christmas carols.
As he said, the project of pastoral guidelines, which are to guarantee children proper care and safety during pastoral visits, was created based on the standards for the protection of minors resulting from the so-called the Kamilek Act, and the norms of the Catholic Church, and after consultation with people involved in prevention.
What requirements does the project introduce?
The priests were obliged to organize a “training meeting on Christmas carol safety standards, at which pastors, altar boys and their parents or legal guardians would be present.” In addition, clergy will have toobtain written consent from parents/guardians legal permissions for the participation of their charges in the Christmas carol service”. A consent template has been prepared and will be sent to the parish in the coming days. The guidelines of this project assume that “altar servers should not be taken on routes that, in the opinion of pastors, may be inadvisable, difficult or difficult for various reasons. threatening the safety of children. It was recalled that “During Christmas carols, children cannot be left alone without supervision“. “Their Christmas carol assistance should be organized in such a way that they always remain in greater or lesser but real closeness to the pastor they accompany (e.g. another room, kitchen or hall)” – we read in the draft guidelines.
Added that “children cannot stay alone in strange apartments, yards or streets, unless they are under the care of other adults who can provide such care. According to the instructions, altar servers should have “constant telephone contact with the priest and parents.”It is good for them to also have the emergency number and telephone number of a person they trust written down” – added the authors. According to the guidelines “there should always be at least two altar boys“. They should be divided so that there is a younger and an older one among them.” As the guidelines propose, ““one should make sure that Christmas carols with altar boys do not take place too late.”
If you need to travel to or from a Christmas carol by car – according to the guidelines – you should “take into account the indications included in the parish security standards, remembering to agree on these trips with your parents.”
The so-called provisions Kamilek's Act comes into force. The Church publishes standards for the protection of minorsRenata Kijowska/Fakty TVN
“Each diocese has its own jurisdiction”
Father Rzeszowski also said that the project will be prepared in the coming days will apply to all parishes and pastors of the Archdiocese of Gniezno. – According to the provisions of the law of the Catholic Church, each diocese has its own jurisdiction, which is the responsibility of the local bishop or the religious superior if the parish has a religious character – explained the priest. He said that the bishop of a place can issue rules for his own territory, which is entrusted to his care – and over which he has juridical authority, but he cannot do it elsewhere or outside. – Many dioceses in Poland have already started preparing similar guidelines, but time will tell what shape they will take. If someone wants to take advantage of our experience, they can do so or adopt their own key. The most important thing is to guarantee children's safety, said the priest.
Kamilek's Act introduces a standard for the protection of minors
On August 15, key provisions of the so-called Kamilek's Act. By then, every institution whose services are used by children had to implement the so-called standards for the protection of minors. They have, among others: help you spot signs earlier that your child may be harmed or protect them against harm. Guidelines for standards were published by the Ministry of Justice. The Team for the Protection of Minors at the Ministry of Justice, which included experts in child protection, proposed the following rule: “you must not accept money or gifts from the child or the child's guardians, you must not enter into any relationship of dependence on the child or the child's guardians, which could lead to accusations of unequal treatment or deriving financial or other benefits. Protection standards were introduced, among others, by the Catholic Church. The chairman of the Polish Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, said that a series of training courses were organized in dioceses, attended by both clergy and lay people serving in parishes and responsible for various church units. He announced that educational and preventive activities are also planned to disseminate knowledge regarding child protection and its proper application.
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