Pope Leo’s emphasis on “false accusations” and “priests’ rights” in his first public interview, comes in the face of damning evidence of his own failure to follow canon law and the Peruvian bishops’ abuse policy. His record shows not just ignorance or insensitivity, but a rejection of zero tolerance for sexual violence and cover-up at the very moment he claims to uphold it.
The message to abuse survivors is to expect the status quo: a church that continues to shield known offenders, refuses to discipline bishops who facilitate abuse by keeping rapists and abusers in power, and a church that will use every tool at their disposal to preserve this system.
SNAP Board President Shaun Dougherty responds:
“We wouldn’t have to keep focusing on this crisis if Pope Leo would just do the right thing. Enact a global zero tolerance law, release the criminal evidence in the Vatican archives, and stop spending millions on attorneys and lobbyists to fight every effort to pass laws that allow survivors to seek justice. Until these basic steps are taken, the pope’s continued failure to act will ensure that this crisis remains front and center, as it should.
When Pope Leo says not to expect major reforms, it is a rejection of survivors. It’s an abandonment of children by the church. The failure to stop abuse, to remove offenders from positions where they can continue committing sexual violence, is not just a moral failure – it’s a death sentence. We’ve lost too many friends to suicide and despair.“
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