New guidelines forbid Montreal Catholic priests, lay workers to be alone with children | National Post

This is a prudent and appropriate step for the Diocese to take. In fact, it is a policy that I have personally practiced throughout my entire priesthood. It provides protection both to children from being abused during church activities as well as to the priest from having to deal with a false accusation sometime in the future.

It is tragic that such a protocol is required, but it is just a reflection of the times we live in... times that reflect a past where children were abused by predator priests and feckless bishops who lacked the courage to respond as they should have by immediately referring such cases to the police. We might wish that the times were different, but as a Church we have no one to blame but ourselves for having to institutionally implement such a policy.

Kudos to Archbishop Lépine for the forthright manner in which he is addressing this problem.

Fr. Tim
New guidelines forbid Montreal Catholic priests, lay workers to be alone with children | National Post