The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has approved a revised version of its Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, commonly known as the “Dallas Charter,” following a vote during the bishops’ Spring Plenary Assembly.
According to LifeSiteNews, the revised charter was approved on June 11 by a vote of 176-22, with six bishops abstaining. The charter, first adopted in 2002, was created to help prevent the sexual abuse of minors and establish procedures for addressing allegations against clergy.
The approved revisions reportedly include a greater emphasis on the right of accused priests to the presumption of innocence, provisions allowing electronic letters of suitability to verify a priest’s good standing, and language addressing the protection of information covered by the seal of confession. The revisions also incorporate elements of Pope Francis’ motu proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi, including provisions related to mandatory Church reporters.
Following the vote, Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond, chairman of the USCCB Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People, said the revisions represented “our best effort to make sure (the Charter) was adapted to some of the developments and circumstances of the present,” according to EWTN News as cited by LifeSiteNews.
Knestout added that the updated charter is intended to help dioceses continue safeguarding children and young people while remaining “respectful of the role of priests.”
Not all bishops supported moving forward with the revisions at this time. According to LifeSiteNews, Archbishop Shawn McKnight of Kansas City, Kansas, expressed concerns that the revised charter remains focused on children and young people while not addressing adults who have experienced abuse or allegations of episcopal cover-up.
McKnight proposed delaying the vote until the bishops’ November assembly to allow additional consultation with dioceses. The motion failed by a vote of 126-73, with five abstentions.
Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, also supported postponing the vote, arguing that additional time would allow presbyteral councils to be more fully consulted. Knestout responded that significant consultation had already taken place and questioned what additional benefit further delays would provide.
After the vote, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, told EWTN News that the absence of adult abuse survivors from the charter revisions should not be interpreted as a lack of concern for those victims. According to LifeSiteNews, Paprocki said there are “other avenues” through which the Church can address issues involving adult survivors and that such matters should be handled through a separate process.
The USCCB’s handling of clergy sexual abuse remains a subject of public scrutiny. LifeSiteNews noted that a 2019 investigation by the Associated Press reported that nearly 1,700 U.S. clerics who had been credibly accused of abusing minors were living with limited oversight. The report also referenced a 2025 open letter from abuse survivor Rachel Mastrogiacomo to federal officials calling attention to allegations of abuse cover-up within the Church.
The revised charter has not yet been officially published by the USCCB.
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