Acta Benedicti Pp. XVI 373

teaching, the living of their vows in a contemporary context, and the life,

works and charism of the founder of the Institute.6

3) All Institutes should perform an audit of their personnel files, if such

an audit has not yet been carried out. As in the case of the Dioceses, every

Religious Congregation, active and contemplative, should perform the

regular audit monitoring the implementation of the norms contained in the

Guidelines, in coordination with the National Board for Safeguarding

Children in the Catholic Church.

4) Major Superiors should develop, with the members of their Institutes,

concrete means for revitalizing communities of prayer, community life and

mission.

5) The Religious in Ireland are asked to consider developing a collabora-

tive ministerial outreach to those suffering from the effects of abuse.

Based on the proposal of the Visitators and the observations made

by various Dicasteries of the Holy See, it has been recommended that

the Bishops of Ireland and Religious Superiors, in collaboration with the

National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, should

continue to examine and update the current Interim Guidance - Leave

from Sacred Ministry and Apostolate for Clergy and Religious with a view to:

1) Formulating guidelines for handling the varied cases of those who have

been accused, but in whose case the Director of Public Prosecution has

decided not to proceed.

2) Formulating policies regarding the falsely accused and their return

to ministry.

3) Formulating policies regarding the pastoral care of those who are

convicted of abuse: the appropriate settings and the conditions under

which such offenders should live.

* * *

The Visitators have been able to establish that, over and above the

suffering of the victims, the painful events of recent years have also

opened many wounds within the Irish Catholic community. Many lay

6 Perfectae Caritatis; Vita Consecrata.