CANADA
CTV
New rules on how Catholic priests, staff and volunteers interact with some the most vulnerable people in the archdiocese — such as children — are being rolled out in Montreal.
Under the new rules, no adult working with the church can be alone with a child. Church members who work closely with minors, the sick or the elderly will be required to be fingerprinted and undergo police background checks.
The updated code of ethics comes after a one-year pilot project involving 10 parishes. The new rules take effect by 2020 and will include all 194 Montreal parishes within the archdiocese, which includes Laval, Repentigny, and L’Assomption.
Father Betrand Montpetit, a Montreal priest of 28 years, says the new rules are an important step forward.
“We want to have more credibility also, and the confidence, you must earn it,” Montpetit told CTV Montreal.
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