Skip to main content

Speaker Approval Process

Office of the Archbishop

The speaker approval process exists to help the Archbishop of Denver carry out his duty under Canon Law to protect the integrity and unity of the faith. This process applies to speakers from outside of the Archdiocese of Denver who are invited to speak on faith or morals. Speakers who reside in the Archdiocese of Denver do not need to complete this process but should obtain permission from the pastor of the parish where they wish to speak.

Overview

  1. Organizers who are planning to invite someone from outside the archdiocese to give a talk on matters involving faith and morals must have the speaker approved by the Chancellor before an invitation is extended. Requests in Spanish should also be submitted to the Office of the Chancellor.
  2. This approval process is only for talks and does not apply to requests to celebrate the Sacraments or take up collections at parishes. For further information on these types of requests, contact the Vicar for Clergy Office.
  3. Catholic parishes and schools must wait to promote or sponsor a speaker until after he/she is approved (even if the presentation is not being given on church property, e.g. at a fundraiser).
  4. Once a speaker is approved, permission to speak in the archdiocese will be effective for three years, unless otherwise stated. This permission can be revoked. A list of currently approved external speakers is maintained on the archdiocesan website for consultation.

Approval Procedure

Before a person can formally be invited to speak, the inviting party must submit the following information to the Office of the Chancellor and receive approval.

  1. A completed Speaker Approval Formavailable here.
  2. A curriculum vitae for the speaker
  3. In the case of a lay person, a letter of support from the speaker’s diocese establishing that he/she is a Catholic in good standing. In the case of a cleric/religious, a letter is required from the speaker’s superior/ordinary/diocese that states he or she is in good standing.
  4. The letter of good standing should include the date of the speaker’s last Safe Environment training and background check, which is considered valid within the Archdiocese of Denver if it occurred within the last five years. Those in need of initial training or a renewal should visit the website for the Office of Minor and At-Risk Adult Protection for locations and times.
  5. If a speaker is not Catholic, written assurance must also be provided that the speaker’s presentation will not conflict with Catholic teaching in any way.

Exempt Speakers

If the person being invited is a Cardinal or Bishop in communion with the Holy See, then they are not subject to this process. Organizations or parishes that book speakers who reside in the Archdiocese of Denver do not need to complete the speaker approval process, but they should contact the pastor of the speaker to determine if the presenter is in good standing.