Pope Francis has made it clear he expects the Church, on every level, to implement whatever steps are necessary to ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults and to respond to their needs with fairness and mercy.

The aim of the New Zealand Diocese’s is to provide a consistent vision to create and foster a secure physical, emotional and spiritual culture in our faith communities, enabling everyone to enjoy the fullness of life in Jesus Christ.

Creating safe environments involves active participation and responsibility taken by all parishes.  It requires collaboration, vigilance and a proactive approach through policies, procedures and practices. Visit the National Safeguarding website: :www.safeguarding.catholic.org.nz

The “National Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand” (National Safeguarding Guidelines) prescribes the commitment of the Church to have safeguarding measures in place in our organisations.  These guidelines have been approved by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and the Congregational Leaders Conference of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Diocese of Auckland, with all the Dioceses in New Zealand works with the National Office for Professional Standards (NOPS) to implement the guidelines. NOPS is an agency of the Mixed Commission, a partnership between the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) and the Congregation Leaders Conference of Aotearoa New Zealand (CLCANZ).  It sets out the strategic direction of the Catholic Church’s safeguarding policy for children, young people and adults at risk.   It is also responsible for monitoring and auditing the compliance of Dioceses and Religious Orders and has designed Safeguarding Culture Standards to ensure best practice to create and maintain safe environments for our children, youth and vulnerable

NOPS also responds to all complaints about abuse in the Church and manages complaints procedures.

Please visit the Auckland Catholic website to view more information here.