AMARILLO (TX)
ABC & TV
August 23, 2019
By Morgan Burrell
Since the formation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002, the Catholic Church has been responsible for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.
The Charter incorporated instruction on reconciliation, healing and the prevention of future acts of abuse, the Conference site states.
Along with the establishment of the Charter, the Diocese of Amarillo began utilizing a safe environment program.
“Initially, when we started this in 2002, we sort of had our own program we had to work with, with what we had available because it was brand new thing throughout the United States, it was required,” said Deacon Blaine Westlake, the director of the safe environment program for Diocese of Amarillo. “As time went on, we found better and better programs. Bishop (Patrick J.) Zurek just recently authorized us to implement the new ‘Circle of Grace,’ which is the title of the program, throughout the diocese.”
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