Terms of Use

1. Purpose of the Site

The Catholic Steps is a faith-based fellowship platform designed to support Roman Catholics in walking a 12-step Sacramental Path to Freedom. The Site provides resources, community discussion, meeting information, sponsorship matching, and accountability partner tools — all rooted in Catholic teaching and the Sacramental life of the Church.

Nothing on this Site constitutes professional medical, psychological, legal, or financial advice. If you are struggling with addiction, mental health, or other serious concerns, please seek qualified professional help in addition to using this resource.

2. Eligibility & Accounts

You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account. By registering, you represent that all information you provide is accurate and that you will keep it current. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in harmful behavior toward other members, or misuse any feature of the Site.

3. Community Standards

This is a Catholic community. All members are expected to engage with charity, respect, and fidelity to Catholic teaching. The following are prohibited:

• ✦Content that is abusive, harassing, threatening, or defamatory toward any person.
• ✦Content that contradicts or undermines Catholic doctrine, the Magisterium, or the authority of the Church.
• ✦Spam, solicitation, advertising, or promotion of non-Catholic or anti-Catholic materials.
• ✦Sharing another member's private information without their consent.
• ✦Impersonating another person, priest, or religious figure.
• ✦Any content that is sexually explicit, violent, or otherwise inappropriate for a faith community.

We reserve the right to remove any content and to suspend or ban any member who violates these standards, at our sole discretion.

4. Sponsorship & Accountability Features

The sponsorship and accountability partner features connect members voluntarily. By using these features, you acknowledge that:

• ✦Sponsors and accountability partners are fellow members, not licensed counselors or clergy acting in an official capacity.
• ✦All communications within sponsorship workspaces and accountability pair threads are private between the two parties, but may be reviewed by administrators if a violation is reported.
• ✦You may end a sponsorship or accountability relationship at any time.
• ✦The Catholic Steps is not liable for the conduct of any sponsor or accountability partner.

5. Intellectual Property

All original content on this Site — including the 12 Steps text, written reflections, design, and branding — is the property of The Catholic Steps and its author(s). You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from this content without written permission.

Content you post in community discussions, prayer walls, or group boards remains yours, but you grant The Catholic Steps a non-exclusive license to display it on the Site. You are responsible for ensuring that anything you post does not infringe the rights of others.

6. Privacy

Your use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains what information we collect, how it is used, and what is visible to other members. Please read it carefully.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Site is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. Your use of the Site is at your own risk.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, The Catholic Steps and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Site, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

9. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

10. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at [email protected].