In 2002, in response to the grave problem of child sexual abuse in Catholic institutions, the Bishops of the United States adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
The Safe Environment Program of the Archdiocese was established to implement Articles 12 and 13 of the the Charter. Article 12 mandates the establishment of programs to train staff in "ways to make and maintain a safe environment for children and young people", and to publicize "the standards of conduct for clergy and other persons in positions of trust with regard to children". Article 13 requires that the Archdiocese evaluate the background of all clergy and of all those whose duties include ongoing, unsupervised contact with minors.
The Charter can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of Child and Youth Protection: