Pope Leo XIV has stated that there should be “no tolerance” for abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in an official statement given to the National Safeguarding Conference held in the Philippines this week
“I renew my appeal that there can be no tolerance for any form of abuse in the Church,” he said. “The Church is our spiritual home, as such every parish and pastoral activity is meant to be a space in which we glorify God and care for others, especially children and the vulnerable.”
Leo XIV also expressed his hope that the conference “deliberations will lead to the implementation of essential policies and practices that ensure transparency in dealing with cases, foster a culture of prevention and safeguard ‘these little ones’ of the Lord.”
Convened in Angeles City, Central Luzon, the conference met under the theme of “Our Mission of Safeguarding: A Journey of Hope and Compassion” and was hosted by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, the Catholic Safeguarding Institute and the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines.
The four-day gathering, which concluded Friday, involved faith leaders, lay experts, and other speakers advocating for a better culture of accountability regarding abuse within the Church.
“This mission does not arise from crisis or fear,” said Bishop Luis Manuel Ali Herrera, secretary of the Commission, in a keynote address. “It is rooted in faith in Christ Jesus, who is our hope.”Â
“Let protection become a living, day-to-day commitment … Repairing the torn fabric of past experience is a redemptive act. Now is the time to repair the damage done to previous generations and to those who continue to suffer.”
Earlier this week, Leo XIV met with survivors of clergy sex abuse at the Vatican, with one advocate and abuse survivor saying that he found the meeting “deeply meaningful” and sensed the pontiff held “a shared commitment to justice, healing and real change.”
Other awareness groups and activists, such as the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, believe that the pope has not gone far enough in committing to ending abuse in the Church. Survivor advocates accused him of mishandling sexual abuse cases before he became pope.Â
“On the day of his election, we warned the world that the next pope would almost certainly be implicated in covering up sexual crimes against children,” said Peter Isely, chair of SNAP’s Global Advocacy, in a statement released in August.
“We offered Pope Leo a roadmap for accountability. One hundred days later, known abusers are permitted to remain in ministry, while cover-up and complicity are rewarded with promotion.”
On Friday, a victim’s group alleged that nearly 4,400 cases of abuse by Catholic priests in Italy have been reported since 2020. The tally compiled by the group Rete I’Abuso was conducted using victims’ accounts, judicial sources and cases reported by the media, Reuters notes.Â
