Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests

APPENDIX D: BOUNDARY EDUCATION | 119

holiness and affective maturity will have a good foundation for establishing and maintaining boundaries.

PROTECTION OF YOUTH

305. Dioceses, eparchies, and religious institutes provide foundational workshops and ongoing education in the protection of minors. By accessing a variety of source materials, priests can stay current in this quickly changing field. Priests’ willingness to embrace safeguarding measures—especially in our schools and religious formation programs—sends a clear message to everyone that we value our youth and that maltreatment will not be toler ated. This safeguarding includes both the real and the virtual worlds.

PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE ADULTS

306. The safeguarding measures that protect youth also apply to vulner able adults. It is important to know that church law changed in 2019 to clarify who belongs to this category of people. Vos Estis Lux Mundi , issued motu proprio by Pope Francis, defined a vulnerable person as “any person in a state of infirmity, physical or mental deficiency, or deprivation of personal liberty which, in fact, even occasionally, limits their ability to understand or to want or otherwise resist the offense.” 222 With this the pope extended the definition beyond those with developmental or acquired disability. “Vulnerable adult” now includes an otherwise fully functioning person who may be under some form of duress and is thus deprived of personal liberty. Although youth protection programming may suffice for these concerns, it is essential to raise awareness of this comprehensive definition of vulnerable adults.

REPORTING

307. Priests are mandated reporters under canon law, subject to eccle siastical sanction. 223 In addition, state and local governments establish legal requirements for mandated reporting of the abuse of minors (as well

222 Francis, Vos Estis Lux Mundi (You Are the Light of the World) , May 7, 2019, arts. 1 §2b, www.vatican.va/ content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/papa-francesco-motu-proprio-20190507_vos-estis-lux-mundi.html. 223 See Francis, Vos Estis Lux Mundi , art. 3 §1; CIC, c. 1371 §6.