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.
Pope Francis spent much of his papacy issuing apologies for clerical sex abuse. His successor must do more.
The 135 cardinal electors must ensure the Church’s next leader is committed to a public position of zero tolerance of abuse by any of its members.
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. It must be applied without exception, and sufficient information released to demonstrate compliance.
He must establish an independent compliance agency to investigate, document, and publicly identify persons of authority in the Church who contributed through their negligence or intentional acts to conceal abusive priests.
The next Pope should commit to fully implementing the recommendations of the 2014 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child report to the Vatican.
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.
Bishops who have mishandled clergy sex abuse cases must be fired.
The Church must compensate all survivors fairly.
And it must lobby in favour - and not against - the abolition of criminal and civil statute of limitations.
This Conclave must select a new Pope with the commitment - and the record - to show they have never and will never tolerate the abuse of children within the Church.
Victims of the Church need more than apologies; they need change.
The Brave Movement
More like this
Brave UK open letter on Makin Review into Church of England
We know the Church of England spent decades protecting a serial child abuser within its ranks.
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.
Stay informed
Sign up to the Brave Movement monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date on our efforts and learn more about how YOU can take action.
Thank you for being brave!