GUIDELINES OF
OUR LADY OF DELIVERANCE DIOCESE
FOR THE CONDUCT OF
SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS AND COUNSELORS
INTRODUCTION
These Guidelines are applicable to all clerics and religious, and to all employees, independent contractors and volunteers who are serving in the Diocese of Camden and its constituent entities. The Guidelines are not intended to impose any formal obligations on any person or entity, nor do they confer any rights on any individual or organization. They are, rather, offered to assist those who provide spiritual direction and counseling as they work with the Church in the fulfillment of its salvific mission.
COUNSELING AND SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
COMPETENCE
Those who provide counseling and spiritual direction must always bear in mind the need to remain within their professional competence. They should be aware of other resources to deal with situations that they themselves might not be able to address and must always be willing to refer someone who is seeking assistance to another who might be more competent, or to seek confidential advice from another person in addressing a particularly troublesome situation.
PRIOR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE BEING ASSISTED
It is inadvisable, except in the most exigent circumstances and only after consultation with another professional, to serve as a counselor or spiritual director for someone with whom one has another relationship of any kind. There ought to be a certain independence in any provision of spiritual direction or counseling, and success clearly depends on the ability of both parties to speak frankly. Hence the attempt to provide counseling to colleagues, employees or friends can often be unproductive and, in some cases, even counter-productive.
THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PERSON
TO WHOM ASSISTANCE IS BEING PROVIDED
The relationship between one who is providing spiritual direction or counseling and the individual receiving such assistance must always remain as a professional one; if such a relationship is to be productive it generally needs to avoid involvement of the parties with each other beyond the assistance which is being provided. While it should be friendly it should not involve friendship. Hence it would be reprehensible to utilize the provision of spiritual direction or counseling for any type of personal advantage. Those who seek such assistance are often vulnerable and they turn to the Church with trust and confidence. To betray that trust and confidence in any way is not only to betray the individual who seeks such help, but it is also to betray the Church itself. Such betrayal can consist of breaching the confidentiality which has been reposed in one who is providing spiritual direction or counseling. However, it can also occur when - in exchange for the provision of spiritual direction or counseling, or as a condition of providing continued assistance, or as a way of allegedly “helping” the person seeking assistance - a personally advantageous condition is imposed on the relationship in any way upon the person to whom assistance is being provided, or upon any relative or friend of that person.
It need hardly be said that any kind of sexual intimacy with the individual to whom assistance is being provided is completely unacceptable. However, even comments which might be innocent in themselves can be misconstrued and one must always exercise prudence in any conversations; likewise, physical contacts can also be misconstrued and ought to be avoided.
It is important, at the outset of what can be a close collaborative relationship, to establish the boundaries of the relationship with the person to whom assistance is being provided. Initiating - and then maintaining - the relationship on a professional level works, over time, to the benefit of both parties. Just as the individual who is providing spiritual direction or counseling can take advantage of someone who is in a vulnerable situation so, too, can such persons present themselves as being in such need that boundaries can be violated. It is the admittedly sometimes difficult task of the one who is providing assistance to see to it that the relationship is not allowed to deteriorate from one which is always to be professional in character.
MEETINGS WITH THOSE TO WHOM ASSISTANCE IS BEING PROVIDED
Any meeting with one to whom spiritual direction or counseling is being provided should be held in a location which will not give the wrong impression to the person who is being provided assistance - or to anyone else - about the nature of the relationship. Private living quarters, for example, are to be avoided.
There is never to be any audio or video recording of any session with one who is being provided spiritual direction or counseling. However, a log of the times and places of each meeting should be maintained.
DEALING WITH YOUTH
All reasonable precautions should be taken to see to it that one is never alone with a minor. When spiritual direction or counseling is being provided to a minor it should - with due consideration for sacramental requirements - be done in as open a setting as possible.
One must never, under any circumstances, have any minor in his or her private living quarters; nor is one permitted to ever travel overnight with a minor or minors without the written permission of the minor’s (or minors’) parent or guardian, and without at least one other adult being present.
One must never, under any circumstances, offer any drug, alcoholic beverage or controlled dangerous substance to any minor. In the event of an emergency where medicine is required and the minor’s parent or guardian cannot be contacted one should consult with his or her supervisor.
No minor is to be employed in any rectory, or permitted to be present in a rectory as a volunteer or in any other capacity on an ongoing basis.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The law in New Jersey generally protects from compelled disclosure communications which are made in the context of a professional relationship to a physician, a lawyer, a psychologist, a newsperson, a marriage counselor, a licensed social worker and one who counsels victims of violence. There are certain limited exceptions to some of these situations, such as when the failure to disclose information would present a serious danger of imminent harm. While communications made to one who is providing spiritual direction or counseling must always be treated in the strictest confidence one should always inform any individual who is receiving assistance that communications can sometimes be compelled in court proceedings, and the individual should also be advised that information will not be kept in confidence which would present a serious danger of imminent harm to the individual or to any other person. In situations where one who is providing assistance feels compelled to reveal information which has been conveyed with an expectation of confidentiality - either in the course of a judicial proceeding or to prevent harm - one’s immediate supervisor should be consulted.
Notwithstanding these general observations concerning confidentiality it should be remembered that the confidentiality of communications made to a priest “as a spiritual advisor” or in his “professional character” are unique in both civil and canon law. The applicable New Jersey statute states that:
Any communication made in confidence to a cleric in the cleric’s professional character, or as a spiritual advisor in the course of the discipline or practice of the religious body to which the cleric belongs or of the religion which the cleric professes, shall be privileged. Privileged communications shall include confessions and other communications made in confidence between and among the cleric and individuals, couples, families or groups in the exercise of the cleric’s professional or spiritual counseling role.
REPORTING DEVIATIONS FROM THESE GUIDELINES
Whenever any person has reasonable cause to believe that anyone has deviated from these Pastoral Guidelines this must promptly be reported in writing to:
The Chancellor of Our Lady of Deliverance Diocese
Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Diocese
502 Palisade Avenue
Union City NJ 07087-5213
(201) 583-1067
(Fax) 583-0212
FRSYRIAC@aol.com
All pertinent and relevant information should be included in any such report.