Last year, a pilot program was launched by the Catholic Church of Montreal that prohibited church personnel from being alone with children. The project has been expanded to include fingerprinting of priests and church volunteers, a requirement of all churches by 2020. The new rules involve a 10-step screening process intended to provide safety to those involved in vulnerable situations, including children, the sick and the elderly. Mandatory police background checks are included in the new rules for the 194 churches in the diocese.
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