revised 7/1/2003

Code of Ethical Standards for All Those Ministering on Behalf of The Church

PREAMBLE
As leaders in the Church founded by Christ, those who minister within our parishes, schools and institutions must conduct themselves according to Gospel values. This Code of Conduct establishes a set of ethical standards for Church leaders, including all who minister on behalf of the Church as employees or as volunteers. These standards will help to delineate boundaries by which ethical questions can be evaluated.

Responsibility for adherence to this Code of Ethical Standards rests with the Church leaders themselves and with the members of the church. Violation of the Code will result in disciplinary action by the appropriate authority up to and including termination of employment or removal from ministry.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Five key principles underlie the ethical stance of this code. The ethical Church leader is one who embraces the principles of ecclesial commitment, integrity, competence, respect for others and personal well-being. Included in these areas are issues which are vital to the conduct of Church leaders and are identified below:

Ecclesial Commitment means that one
• embraces the teachings of Jesus and works to promote the Gospel
• exhibits a deep commitment to the Church
• shows a commitment not only to the parish family, but also to the larger community in which the parish is located

Integrity means that one
• conducts oneself in an honest and open manner, free from deception or corruption
• handles the responsibilities of one’s office in a conscientious fashion
• has a responsibility to set high moral standards and to lead by example

Competence means that one
• maintains a high level of professional competence in one’s particular ministry through training, education and work experience
• knows one’s limitations and provides service only in those areas in which one has competence

Respect for Others means that one
• respects the rights, dignity and worth of each member of the Church community
• respects each individual as a creation of God without regard to economic status or degree of participation in parish life
• strives to be sensitive to cultural differences among people and to appreciate the opportunities that diversity brings
• understands that issues of aging, gender, race, religion, physical and mental limitations and language all affect how the message of the Gospel is received and interpreted

Well-Being means that one
• attends to one’s own human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral well-being
• is aware of the warning signs in behavior and moods that may indicate conditions that are detrimental to one’s health
• immediately seeks help when one identifies warning signs in one’s own professional or personal life
• participates in seminars and workshops that are relevant to one’s current ministry
• addresses one’s own spiritual needs in order to remain focused in faith and in ministry
• nurtures in oneself the pastoral heart necessary to lead people in word, worship, and service
• along with others in ministry, provides mutual support and affirmation in ministry and, at the same time, holds each accountable for his or her own physical, emotional and spiritual well-being

1. CONDUCT IN COUNSELING
Church leaders who conduct counseling for families, individuals, or groups must respect their rights and advance the welfare of each person.

1.1 Church leaders must not step beyond their competence in counseling situations and should make it clear what role they can provide to the counselee. Generally this should be focused on spiritual assistance, particularly in cases where the individual is already in a therapeutic relationship with a counseling professional.

1.2 Church leaders must ensure that no individual is subject to needless trauma or abuse within these interactions.

1.3 Church leaders must not disclose information learned from counseling sessions. In the beginning of what is clearly a counseling relationship, the Church leader must inform the counselee that confidentiality is limited when there is clear and imminent danger to the client or to others. In such cases, the Church leader must contact the necessary authorities or other professionals.

1.4 Church leaders who move to another parish while conducting counseling with parishioners should help make appropriate referrals for continued care.

1.5 Physical contact with the counselee can be misconstrued. Great care should be taken in any physical contact beyond a handshake. Church leaders must never engage in sexual intimacies with those whom they counsel.

1.6 It should always be clear to both the Church leader and the counselee that a counseling relationship is in process. This can be done when the counseling, especially if extended, is conducted in an appropriate setting and at appropriate times. A calendar or record of times and places of contacts should be kept. Counseling should not be done in an environment that is threatening or misleading to the counselee. Counselees should never be invited into the private living quarters of the counselor.

1.7 Church leaders assume the full burden of responsibility for establishing and maintaining clear, appropriate boundaries in all counseling and counseling-related relationships.

1.8 Church leaders ordinarily do not begin a counseling relationship with someone with whom they have a preexisting relationship (i.e., employee, professional colleague).

2. CONDUCT WITH MINORS
Church leaders working with minors should use appropriate judgment to ensure trusting relationships marked by personal and professional integrity.

2.1 Church leaders working with youth should use appropriate judgment to ensure an open and trustworthy relationship.

2.2 Church leaders must be aware of their own vulnerability and should have a team approach to youth activities.

2.3 Physical contact beyond a handshake can be misconstrued by both youth and adults, and should only occur under appropriate public circumstances.

2.4 Church leaders will refrain from the use of and the supply of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs when working with youth.

2.5 Church leaders should not provide shared, private, overnight accommodations for individual young people including, but not limited to, accommodations in any Church-owned facility, private residence, hotel room, or any other place where there is no other adult supervision present. Sharing a dormitory style room is acceptable as long as two adults are present.

2.6 Church leaders do not provide any sexually explicit, inappropriate or offensive material to minors.

3. SEXUAL CONDUCT
Church leaders do not exploit the trust of the parish community for sexual gain or intimacy.

3.1 Church leaders who have made a commitment to celibacy are called to witness this in all relationships. Likewise, those who have made a marital commitment are called to witness to this fidelity in all their relationships.

3.2 Church leaders must not exploit another person for sexual purposes.

3.3 Any allegations of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously and must be reported to an appropriate Diocesan official. The Diocese of Sioux City Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People must be followed to insure the rights of all involved.

3.4 Church leaders must be knowledgeable of the Diocese of Sioux City Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, in addition to the State of Iowa Child Abuse Regulations.

4. HARASSMENT
Church leaders shall provide a professional work environment that is free from physical, psychological, written, or verbal intimidation or harassment.

4.1 Church leaders must not engage in physical, psychological or verbal harassment of employees, volunteers, or parishioners and should not tolerate such harassment by other church employees or volunteers.

4.2 Church leaders are committed to providing a professional work environment for their employees that is totally free from such harassment. This commitment continues the Diocesan policy of fair and equal employment to every person regardless of race, national origin, gender, age, disability or handicap. Church leaders should provide a work environment that is free from intimidations and harassment based on any of these factors.

4.3 Harassment encompasses a broad range of physical or verbal behavior, which can include, but is not limited to:

• Physical or mental abuse
• Racial insults
• Derogatory ethnic slurs
• Sexual advances or unwelcome touching
• Sexual comments or sexual jokes
• Request for sexual favors used as a condition of employment or affecting any personnel decision such as hiring, promotion, or compensation
• Display of obscene materials

4.4 Harassment can be the result of a single incident or the result of a pattern of behavior where the purpose or effect is to create a hostile, offensive, or intimidating work environment.

4.5 All instances of alleged harassment must be reported at once to the immediate supervisor, Pastor, Parochial Administrator, Principal or the appropriate Diocesan Official.

5. CONFIDENTIALITY
Information disclosed to a Church leader during the course of counseling, advising, spiritual direction and any other professional contact shall be held in strictest confidence.

5.1 Church leaders should discuss the nature of confidentiality and its limitations with each person in counseling.

5.2 The Church leader is bound to safeguard the confidentiality of any notes, files or computer records pertaining to professional contact with individuals.

5.3 Knowledge that arises from professional contact may be used in teaching, writing, and homilies or other public presentations only when effective measures have been taken to absolutely safeguard individual identity and confidentiality.

5.4 Information obtained in the course of sessions shall be confidential, except for compelling professional reasons or as required by law.

5.4.1 If there is clear and imminent danger to the client or to others, the Pastoral Counselor or Spiritual Director may disclose only the information necessary to protect the parties affected and to prevent harm.

5.4.2 Before disclosure is made, if feasible, the Pastoral Counselor or Spiritual Director should inform the person being counseled about the disclosure and the potential consequences.

5.5 These obligations are independent of and supplementary to the confidentiality of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Under no circumstances whatsoever can there be any disclosure, even indirect, of information received under the seal of this sacrament.

6. RECORDS AND INFORMATION
Appropriate confidentiality shall be maintained in creating, storing, accessing, transferring and disposing of parish or institutional records.

6.1 Sacramental records shall be regarded as confidential. When, for valid Church reporting or parish statistical purposes, information from these records is made public, great care must be taken to preserve the anonymity of individuals.

6.2 Except for information regarding adoption and legitimacy, sacramental records older than 70 years may be made accessible to the public. A trained staff member who is authorized to locate the requested information or supervise the use of such records shall handle requests for more recent records.

6.3 The records of individual contributions to the parish shall be regarded as private and therefore shall be used only as necessary.

7. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Clergy, staff, and volunteers should disclose all relevant factors that potentially could create a conflict of interest.

7.1 Church leaders should avoid putting themselves in a position that might present a conflict of interest, since the existence, or even the appearance of a conflict of interest can call into question one’s integrity and professional conduct.

7.2 No church leaders should take advantage of anyone to whom they are providing services in order to further their personal, religious, political, or business interests.

7.3 Disclosure of all relevant factors can, in some circumstances, lessen the potential for a conflict of interest.

8. ADMINISTRATION
Church leaders shall seek to relate to all people with respect, sensitivity and reverence. Meetings are to be conducted with patience and courtesy toward the views of others.

8.1 Church leaders exercise just treatment of employees and volunteers in the day to day administrative operations of their ministries.

8.2 Church leaders do not use their positions to exercise unreasonable power and authority.

8.3 Church leaders must be meticulously honest in their handling of Church finances and of Church financial records. They must manage the parish finances in cooperation with the parish finance council as required by canon law

8.4 Church leaders seek to empower others, supporting each person to live the life to which God calls them. They are to seek to work in ways that respect the different talents people bring to the Church. Personnel and other administrative decisions made by Church leaders should not only meet civil and Canon Law obligations, but should reflect Catholic social teachings.

9. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
Information and technology resources are used to support the pastoral, educational, instructional and administrative endeavors of church leaders.

9.1 Under no circumstances shall any postings, voicemail, e-mail or Internet originating at Diocesan property be in violation of teachings of the Catholic Church, the letter or spirit of the Diocesan Equal Employment Opportunity or Sexual Harassment policies or the restrictions against 501c(3) tax exempt organizations. Under no circumstances shall such communication tools be used for personal gain, for gambling, or to solicit others for activities unrelated to the Diocesan business. Under no circumstances can electronic communications be used to carry defamatory, discriminatory or obscene material.

9.2 The use of a computer to access or transmit pornographic material or sexually explicit information is in violation of Diocesan policy.

9.3 The Diocese respects the personal privacy of its staff. However, because communication tools are provided for Diocesan business purposes, staff rights of privacy in this context are quite limited. Staff and others should have no expectation that any information transmitted over Diocesan equipment or stored on Diocesan computers is, or will remain, private. In the course of their duties, system operators and managers may monitor employee use of the Internet or review the contents of stored or transmitted data. E-mail should not be considered a confidential means of correspondence.

9.4 Violations of these procedures can result in responses ranging from denial of future access to termination of employment.