This blog was authored by Denise Buchanan, Ph.D, Founding Member of ECA: Ending Clergy Abuse, CEO of Faith Has Feet and Member of the Brave Movement.
As a Jamaican survivor of clergy sexual abuse, I have witnessed the cover-ups and systemic failures which continue to plague the Church globally.
It is imperative for the new Pope to enact stronger measures to ensure past mistakes are not repeated.
Past Popes have taken different approaches to addressing clergy abuse, with varying degrees of success. Pope Francis implemented reforms such as Vos Estis Lux Mundi, which aimed to hold bishops accountable for mishandling abuse cases, but enforcement has been inconsistent. As a Jamaican survivor of clergy sexual abuse, I have witnessed the cover-ups and systemic failures which continue to plague the Church globally. It is imperative for the new Pope to enact stronger measures to ensure past mistakes are not repeated.
When the Church adopts a zero-tolerance law into canon law and enforces safeguarding measures for children, it will be the beginning of true justice and healing. The certainty that any clergy member found guilty of sexual abuse will be permanently removed from ministry will pave the way for a Christ-centered Church, restoring trust and transparency. This is not merely a policy change—it is a moral imperative, a foundational shift that will signal to survivors that their voices have finally been heard.
Cardinal Robert Prevost—now Pope Leo XIV—has spoken of “building bridges to peace and justice, welcoming everyone in dialogue and love.” Survivors accept this invitation. We have already crafted a “zero-tolerance law” alongside canon lawyers.
"Now, the next crucial step is for Pope Leo XIV to include survivors in discussions that will accelerate a way forward."
A Global Survivors Council, with the authority to oversee and enforce compliance with the zero-tolerance law, would be a profound indicator that the Church is ready to confront this clergy abuse crisis with genuine accountability.
The track record of American-born Cardinal Robert Prevost and the name he assumes as the new Pope is an indication of the level setting and leadership that he will take into the forward momentum of the Church as Pope Leo XIV—one that we hope prioritizes justice over reputation
"Survivors have the ability to forgive missteps of the past, however there must be a trajectory toward healing and justice for those harmed."
His words, “God loves everyone. This is a Church for everyone… evil will not prevail,” set the tone for his papacy. Survivors now look with expectation that he will ensure the evil of clergy sexual abuse will no longer prevail.
This is a moment of reckoning. Pope Leo XIV has an opportunity to lead the Church into an era of unwavering transparency, accountability, and survivor-centered justice. Will he rise to the challenge? The world is watching. Survivors everywhere are waiting.
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The next Pope must have zero tolerance for child abuse: An open letter from the Brave Movement
As survivors of childhood sexual violence, we know that the Roman Catholic Church has failed historically to prevent and to root out abuse from within its own ranks. The next Pope must update Canon Law to adopt a zero tolerance law which identifies sexual abuse as a grave crime against the life, dignity, and freedom of victims. The Church he leads must report all cases of clerical sex abuse to law enforcement and share the canonical files related to every case with the civil authorities.
How legislative and policy reform can protect children from sexual violence in religious spaces
Our mission is to put an end to the systems that allow violence against children in faith-based institutions, especially in the Catholic Church. Our role at ECA has been to examine and advocate for the reform of the laws within the Church that have allowed the sexual abuse of hundreds of thousands of children and perpetuated the cover-up of those crimes. In 2014, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child issued a series of recommendations to the Vatican to ensure the safety of children who are part of the Catholic Church: Canon Law reform. An independent mechanism for monitoring children's rights and the conduct of the Catholic hierarchy in managing sexual abuse. Multiple countries have issued reports following widespread investigations into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, including Australia, France, England, and Wales. ECA has presented several horrendous cases of clergy sexual abuse to both committees at the United Nations, including the Provalo case in Argentina involving the abuse of deaf and mute children. This decision emphasized the need for comprehensive reparation for all forms of violence against children, including sexual abuse, physical violence, and mistreatment in public, private, and religious institutions.
In our hands: ending violence against children through multi-sectoral prevention and early intervention support services
I am a psychoneurologist, human rights consultant, and one of the founding members of ECA: Ending Clergy Abuse.ECA is a volunteer-led global justice project that has grown over the last 7 years across 5 continents. We have members in 23 countries, with the largest concentration in Latin America. Our mission is to end the systems that allow child violence to persist in faith-based institutions, especially in the Catholic Church.
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