Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale372

f. to re-evaluate the pastoral programme, ensuring that it is sacra-

mental, priestly and apostolic, and duly concerned with preparing candidates

to celebrate the sacraments and to preach;

g. to ensure that the seminary buildings be exclusively for seminar-

ians of the local Church and those preparing them for the priesthood, to

ensure a well-founded priestly identity.

The task entrusted by the Holy See to the Visitators to Religious houses

was twofold: 1) ensuring that all Religious Congregations have adequate

protocols for safeguarding children and are implementing them; and 2) en-

couraging members of Institutes and Societies to a renewed vitality in their

life and mission as Religious or members of Societies of Apostolic Life. In a

spirit of cooperation with the Bishops, clergy and lay faithful of Ireland, the

Superiors and members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of

Apostolic Life are encouraged to develop the resources at their disposal, so

that they may be better equipped to meet the needs of those still suffering the

effects of abuse. In the light of the immense contribution they have made in

the past to the life of the Church in Ireland and their remarkable missionary

outreach across the world, consecrated persons should renew their commit-

ment to building communities capable of offering their members mutual

support along the path towards holiness and capable of contributing effec-

tively to the renewal of the entire local Church community.

In this regard, the Holy See has made the following observations:

1) The Religious in Ireland will join Bishops in mutual reflection, plan-

ning and support, revitalizing the instruments of dialogue and communion

that have been envisioned by the Magisterium.5 The Bishops themselves will

convoke and lead the process of renewing dialogue and concrete collaboration

in the field of safeguarding children, while also seeking to bring about a more

effective and deeper communion between different and complementary

charisms in the local Church.

2) The Major Superiors of each Institute in Ireland should design a

programme for focusing anew over the next three years on the Institute's

fundamental sources, particularly the following of Christ as revealed in the

Scriptures, and contained in the Apostolic Tradition of the Church's

5 Cfr Mutuae Relationes.