Archbishop José H. Gomez
Working Together To Prevent Child Sexual Abuse:
Keeping Ministerial Relationships Healthy & Holy
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
As I travel through our Archdiocese of Los Angeles, I am impressed and humbled by the vibrant faith of our diverse Catholic community. Our parishes and schools are filled with clergy and laity dedicated to prayer and the service of others.
As the People of God, we recognize and take seriously our responsibility to care for one another. An important aspect of this responsibility is ensuring that all of our ministries are safe for our children and young people.
Sexual abuse is a terrible crime and sin, and no segment of society is immune to it. In our efforts to prevent it, we must recognize the behaviors and situations that can give rise to abusive actions. We must also know how to bring suspected or observed abuse and misconduct to the attention of the proper authorities.
Every Parish in our Archdiocese has a representative who can train and provide resource materials to inform to abuse prevention policies, educational programs and resources that have been implemented in parishes and schools throughout the Archdiocese. These resources outline information about creating safe environments, what to do and who to contact if you suspect or witness abuse or misconduct, how to obtain pastoral care for abuse victims, and much more. Please read it carefully, and keep it for easy reference.
Our children are our precious future. Let us all continue to work together to protect them from all harm, especially that of sexual abuse.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles
