Social networking opportunities are available and are the latest in ‘technological options’ for communication. Before launching any social networking project, evaluate its appropriateness in ministry. These guidelines apply to Catholic social networking sites, as well as secular social networking sites.
This policy was last updatd on March 15, 2010.
1. Social networking opportunities are available and are the latest in ‘technological options’ for communication. Before launching any social networking project, evaluate its appropriateness in ministry. These guidelines apply to Catholic social networking sites, as well as secular social networking sites.
a. Why are you called to consider a social networking opportunity? What is the faith perspective surrounding this call?
b. Who is the audience?
c. Is this the best way to reach the audience?
d. Will all members of the target audience be included?
e. Is the time worth the investment?
f. How will success be measured? Ultimately, we hope our communications will bring people to Eucharist, the source of summit of our Catholic faith. How will this be accomplished through this forum and how will that be measured?
II TRANSPARENCY
1. It is essential to the nature of ministry that parents/guardians are fully aware of all mediums being used to keep in contact with their young person for ministerial purposes.
2. The intent of communication policy is that we give witness to the Good News in such a way that we create a safe environment for all vulnerable populations, which is open, transparent and involves the parents/guardians of the young people as partners.
3. It is important that ministry is not used to establish private one-on-one relationships with youth and our methods of communication must reflect this.
3.1.1. Best Practice—Maintain copies of communication with youth (under 18) and copy parents on all e-mails and other electronic correspondence.
3.1.2. Best Practice—Copy supervisor on individual correspondence with young adults (over 18).
4. Unusual circumstances of a pastoral nature should be documented and shared with the pastor or one’s supervisor as soon as feasible. The documentation of any such circumstance should involve a copy of any applicable communication from all types of communication medium.
5. The administrator log on credentials should be shared with the pastor or appropriate supervisor, as well as his/her own account with administrator privileges.
III SOCIAL NETWORKING POLICY GOVERNANCE
1. The Social Networking Policy governs AGENTS of the Diocese (i.e., people whose actions might be attributed to the Diocese, such as Ministry Leaders and ministry team members). The Diocese, schools or parishes are not responsible for personal activities of members, students or parents. Understand, however, that Ministry Leaders and the agents that work with youth sometimes could be considered to be acting on behalf of the Diocese even away from Diocesan property, and they should use good judgment accordingly in compliance with Diocesan policies.
2. If a Diocesan employee discovers a social networking personal site that gives the appearance of being related to a Diocesan entity, a best practice is to go to your pastor or appropriate designated supervisor and ask them to contact the site's administrator to add the disclaimer from the Social Networking Policy and to remove any intellectual property (logos, etc.) which may indicate an ‘official site’. The idea is to try to prevent someone from perceiving that such a page is sponsored or managed by a school, parish or the Diocese. For practical purposes, each Diocese entity should pick one or two people to receive reports about what employees find, and those people could be the facilitator.
2.1. As for discovering adults befriending minors, while there is no responsibility for people who are not Diocesan agents, each Diocesan entity should educate its adult and minor members and parents and students about best practices when using social networking. This education would remind parents to be aware of the on-line activities of their children.
IV PHONE CALLS TO MINORS
1. Calls should be made to a young person’s home rather than to their personal cell phone in order to further transparency, you may then speak with the young person without further explicit permission of the parent/guardian. If you speak with a parent/guardian, and in hearing the information you wish to share the parent/guardian asks that you contact the young person directly by the young person’s cell phone, you may feel free to do so.
1.1. Calls may provide an opportunity to connect with the parents/guardians as well, and this is a helpful point of connection for family and the ministry.
1.2. Phone calls to a young person should be connected to the ministry setting, and again follow the principles of transparency.
1.3. When you are contacted by a young person be sure to observe the principles of transparency and conduct the conversation as an aspect of the ministry and be present to the conversation as a minister.
2. For trips off of church property it is appropriate that youth be given the cell phone numbers of the adult leaders to have in case of emergency, e.g. on an excursion to a theme park. It is also appropriate that, after parents/guardians have been informed, youth cell phone numbers are collected for use that day to ensure safety, following the guidelines of transparency.
V CARDS AND LETTERS
1. A consistent practice of acknowledging and affirming achievements in the lives of those within ministry is certainly appropriate, e.g. sending a note to all graduating seniors or to each young person on their birthday. Communication of this type should be completely transparent and appropriate to a ministry setting. In signing your name it is appropriate to include your title and the name of the ministry you serve.
1.1. Within ministry other occasions may arise in which all youth attending an event receive a short note of affirmation in the context of our faith. This might include palanca notes on retreat or an affirmation activity within a program or event. Use good judgment in integrating the outlined aspects of transparency into all of your communications with youth.
VI E-MAIL TO MINORS
1. Ministry Leaders should not use their personal e-mail account for their ministry work. The parish should provide each minister with an e-mail account for ministry work and a record of this account reflected in directory information.
2. All e-mail correspondence to a minor must be accompanied by a corresponding copy to the parent/guardian.
2.1. This will require collecting e-mail information from both parents/guardians and teens at the time of registration for a program/event.
VII TEXT MESSAGING TO MINORS
1. Text messaging should follow the guidelines applicable to other forms of communication, including integrating the principles of transparency. Ministry Leaders and ministry team members should avoid private text communication with any minors.
2. Communicating with youth regarding a ministry event should include copying a text message to the parent/guardian or forwarding the text message to the parent/guardian of the youth through e-mail.
3. Communicating with a group of youth through text messaging may be done as long as parents/guardians are included in the text recipients or are sent an e-mail with the content of the text message, e.g. sending out a reflection or scripture of the day to all youth or providing information on an upcoming event.
VIII INSTANT MESSAGING
1. The Diocesan Networking Acceptable Use Policy does not allow the use of instant messaging on Diocesan networks or computer resources.
2. Additionally, no instant messaging between youth and Ministry Leaders through a personal computer or other electronic device is permitted.
IX WEBSITE LINK REQUIREMENTS
(taken directly from the Diocesan Network Acceptable Use Policy)
1. Any website of a Diocesan entity may link sites that are not in conflict with the teaching and the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. The links fall into these three main areas:
a. Official Church sites, such as the Vatican, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, state conferences, archdioceses and dioceses;
b. Parts of the Diocese such as parishes, schools and ministries operated by the Diocese or approved resources associated with those ministries; and
c. Under the oversight of a bishop or religious congregation, or listed in the Official Catholic Directory. Church leaders should use prudence in evaluating links to other commercial opportunities on its site. It is the entity’s responsibility to evaluate its hosts’ advertisers and sponsors on a regular basis.
2. Use of photos on websites should be group photos. Where children are involved, first names only should be used. Parents/guardians must sign permission slips each year for use of children’s photos; therefore, all photos, particularly those which include children, should be refreshed regularly.
3. Parents/guardians must sign permission slips each year for the use of video where children are present. Use of videos on websites should be refreshed regularly when images of children are present.
4. All Diocesan parishes, school, and entities should have a link for the Diocese of Orlando website, www.orlandodiocese.org, and San Pedro Center, www.sanpedrocenter.org, on its own website.
X USE OF MEDIA WITHIN MINISTRY
1. Showing movies/clips: Parental/guardian consent forms must be completed before showing any portion of a film rated “R” on the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating scale to high school age students. This impacts film use within all high school youth ministry programs. The title of the film that will be shown, in whole or part, may be included on the overall parental/guardian consent form for a specific event. If this is a specific evening within a youth ministry planned pattern of gathering a specific parental/guardian consent form should be completed.
2. No portion of a film rated “R” on the MPAA rating scale may be shown to students under high school age. This impacts film use within all middle school youth ministry programs.
3. Parental/guardian consent forms must be completed before showing any portion of a film rated “PG-13” on the Motion Picture Association of America rating scale to those under the age of 14. This impacts film use within all middle school youth ministry programs. The title of the film that will be shown, in whole or part, may be included on the overall parental/guardian consent form for a specific event. If this is a specific evening within a youth ministry planned pattern of gathering a specific parental/guardian consent form should be completed.
a. Best Practice—Consult the USCCB movie rating guide, found at www.usccb.org before deciding
whether or not any clip is appropriate for use within a ministry setting. The USCCB rating system will make note of where a film reinforces or detracts from Gospel values. This system will also indicate films which the MPAA finds age appropriate, that are contrary to the faith. It will also point out films with a high level of resonance with moral and spiritual values of our faith.
b. Best Practice—Use clips only from films that you would be comfortable having the young person recommend to their parents/guardian for viewing the complete film.
XI USING MUSIC WITHIN MINISTRY
1. Using music from the popular culture must include a pre-screening of lyrics. Lyrics with obscenities, or that are demeaning to people of a specific gender, race, creed or sexual orientation, are not to be played/broadcast within the ministry setting.
a. Best Practice—Providing people with tools to assess media within a Gospel framework is an
excellent practice. In this context it may be appropriate to examine the printed lyrics of songs within popular culture, first deleting any obscenities from the printed copy, with the purpose of enabling people to apply a Gospel filter to media.
XII SOCIAL NETWORKING APPLICATIONS
1. No chat or interactive blog features of any software may be utilized or created on a Diocesan or parish web page. It is essential that all posted content be first evaluated in terms of content and appropriateness – this is not possible with a widespread ability for individuals to add content.
2. Posting of links, photos, and events must be limited to authorized administrators.
3. All friends/fans/followers of a social networking site must be 18 years of age, out of high school and known to the administrator of the social network.
4. Educational Software does exist which can be utilized in an educational/ministry environment that provides a closed community for those still in high school or middle school. Parents/guardians are copied on all posts to the site and everything posted is done so through the ministry leader/administrator.
a. Best Practice—If there will be information shared via a social networking site for both a parish youth ministry and a parish young adult ministry it is strongly recommended that the information on each page apply directly to the specific ministry.
b. Best Practice—Given that youth may not be friends/fans/followers of a social networking site, youth ministry pages might well be designed with parents/guardians in mind as the primary audience.
5. Parent/guardian oriented content should also have a place on the parish youth ministry page of a website. Material posted to any social networking site must also be available through other communication mediums.
XIII MINISTRY PAGES
1. If an employee decides to use a social network to establish an account in the name of a ministry of the church, the account should be formed independent of any one person’s personal social network account.
2. You must notify your pastor or appropriate supervisor about the formation of an account prior to its creation.
3. Because of the nature of a social network and because the content of third parties cannot easily be monitored or controlled away from the ministry’s site, monitor visible users for appropriate imaging and individual photos, as well as their own sites must be appropriate in order for them to be considered “friends,” “fans,” “followers,” etc.
4. Do not allow anyone other than an administrator to post content on the Wall in Facebook.
5. Because our faith is alive and the content of your social network page should be ever changing, it is advised that you visit your page regularly for updates and to note any information which may be contrary to the policy.
6. Information posted using any form of technology in the name of the Church must adhere to the following guidelines:
a. No content or information that is contrary to Catholic teaching may appear on the page.
b. Must be professional, respectful and courteous.
c. Must avoid debate of Catholic Church teaching.
d. Have the pastor (or supervisor) monitor content on a regular basis.
e. Only logos or photographs of ministries/organizations/companies directly tied to the Catholic Church /or an approved site may be displayed on the page.
7. Standards for allowing individuals to join a ministry page:
a. They must be 18 years of age or older.
b. You should know all of the individuals who are friends/fans/members/followers of your ministry page(you accept great responsibility when you accept an individual on a ministerial page as you lead them in formation of the Catholic faith).
c. Clarify with text on your ministry page that you will accept friends/fans/followers who are 18 years and older and that you may ask a friend/fan/follower to remove photos or other information which is not respectful in order for that person to remain a friend/fan/follower.
8. Any information reflected on a social network page for ministry should also be reflected on the parish/entity website, so that the information is accessible in both areas.
XIV SOCIAL NETWORKING UPDATE: FACEBOOK “COMMENTS”
1. As we continue to seek compliance with the Diocese of Orlando Social Networking Policy, please note this information as social networking offerings continue to change. Monitor your Facebook profile, page or group daily and delete all comments from “friends” and “fans.” The content of the comment does not matter. This action is needed because Facebook currently does not allow administrators to block comments and there is no way to block the ability to “like” or “dislike” an administrator’s posting with the “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” icons. Note that while you are able to delete a comment after it has been submitted, there is no way to delete “likes” and “dislikes”.
2. If someone submits an offensive comment, you can block them from having access to your profile, page or group in the future. If you block someone, they will not be able to find you in a Facebook search, see your profile, page or group, or interact with you through Facebook channels. Blocking is selected by choosing “Settings” and then “Privacy” and then entering a person’s name or email.
3. On Facebook, there is a new setting where the list and profile pictures of friends can be hidden from public view on an individual page. Here is a good description about the procedure: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10416524-238.html.
XV DISCUSSION GROUPS, FORUMS, LISTSERV GROUPS
Sharing of ministry best practices, upcoming events, rules and regulations as well as the opportunity to provide input can occur through discussion groups, forums, list serv groups and others. These groups are closed membership and the members are selected by the person who forms the group. Applicable standards are below:
QUALIFICATIONS OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO FORMS A GROUP ON BEHALF OF MINISTRY
1. Must be a director at the Chancery or parish level (or equivalent)
2. Must have permission of pastor or immediate supervisor to form a group. This permission should be provided in written form, outlining the purpose of the group and its members.
3. The application used for these purposes must offer a tracking system.
PERSONS SELECTED FOR GROUP PARTICIPATION
1. Must be 18 years and older.
2. Must be within the same field or position of the administrator of the group.
3. Must be asked for participation and consent received.
4. All group names should be cleared by pastor or immediate supervisor and a list of approved names should be kept with the log as mentioned above.
MONITORING OF GROUP SPEAK
1. Administrators should monitor comments posted and make sure they are respectful and appropriate to the topic.
2. Administrator should request a stop date for comments when a topic is time-sensitive.
3. Administrator should create a summary report of comments and any conclusions drawn and record these with the pastor or immediate supervisor, etc.
XVI INDIVIDUAL PAGES
1. If an individual creates a page using social networking software and identifies him/herself as a priest/deacon/religious/leader/employee of the Catholic Church, the individual must adhere to the following guidelines:
i. No content or information that is contrary to Catholic teaching may appear on the page
ii. Must be professional, respectful
iii. Must include a disclaimer that “This page is not sponsored by the Diocese of Orlando or _____ Catholic Church and any communications or views on this page are only those of the individual author.”
iv. Must avoid debate of Catholic teaching
v. The use of diocesan or church logos and trademarks is strictly prohibited
vi. Photographs can only be used if each subject of the photograph has given permission
vii. Ensure transparency: no anonymity or pseudonyms.
viii. Follow copyright, fair use and financial disclosure laws
ix. Do not disclose confidential information, complaints or strictly internal matters.
XVII DISCIPLINARY OR LEGAL ACTION
1. Failure to abide by this policy may result in disciplinary or legal action by the Diocese of Orlando.
XVIII DON’T TAKE MISINFORMATION INTO YOUR OWN HANDS
1. If you visit a church site and believe information is misrepresented, or you become a friend/fan of a social networking site which misrepresents the Catholic Church, even though the individual states he/she is Catholic, please inform the diocesan director of communication, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
XIX BEST PRACTICES
1. School or ministry-related electronic communications should be limited to only e-mail, the official website of the Diocese or school/entity and the school’s/entity’s/Diocesan confidential portal, if any.
2. Leaders of ministry should say “no” if asked to be a friend on a social networking page of a parent, student, parishioner or other individual who interacts with them only through this leadership role. There are risks with social networking, especially with blurring boundaries of professional and personal relationships. Anyone can say "no" to someone who wants to be their friend. Ultimately, what employees do on their own time is governed by the Diocesan conduct policy.
3. Know your friends/fan/followers before you accept them on your personal and/or ministry social network.
XX OTHER INFORMATION
1. There are many social networks currently available. If you are choosing a secular offering, the Diocese of Orlando has investigated Facebook which does lend itself to observing the guidelines of this document.
Initiated: August, 2009Current: March, 2010
