For the first time in his papacy, Pope Leo XIV met directly with an international coalition of clergy sexual abuse survivors and advocates, marking what participants described as a historic and hope-filled step toward greater accountability and reform within the Catholic Church. The hour-long meeting, held on October 20, 2025, in the Apostolic Palace at Vatican City, brought together six representatives from Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA), a global organization campaigning for a universal zero-tolerance policy on clergy sexual abuse.
The meeting came just days after the Vatican’s own child protection commission released a sharply critical report, accusing senior church leaders of dragging their feet in responding to victims and failing to provide adequate information about how abuse cases were being handled. Against this backdrop, the encounter between Pope Leo and the ECA took on added significance, with both sides acknowledging the urgency and gravity of the Church’s ongoing crisis.
According to CBC News, the survivors and advocates—hailing from countries including Canada, Germany, Uganda, Argentina, and the United States—shared personal testimonies and concrete proposals with the pontiff. Among their key demands was the global adoption of the U.S. Catholic Church’s zero-tolerance policy, which mandates the permanent removal from ministry of any priest found to have abused a child. This policy, first implemented in the United States in 2002, was enacted at the height of the Boston abuse scandal and has since become a model for reformers worldwide. However, as ECA co-founder Timothy Law pointed out to Pope Leo, “Why can’t we make it universal?”
Pope Leo, the first American to hold the papacy, acknowledged the resistance that persists within the global Church to adopting such a sweeping policy. “There was great resistance,” he reportedly told the group, as quoted by multiple outlets including the Associated Press. Yet, he agreed to keep a permanent channel of dialogue open with ECA, expressing his commitment to ongoing engagement and reform. Law emphasized that the group’s goal was not confrontation, but rather “accountability, transparency, and the willingness to work together to find solutions.”
Gemma Hickey, ECA board president and a survivor from Canada, described the meeting as “deeply meaningful.” Speaking to Vatican News, Hickey said, “Pope Leo was very open, and each of us shared some personal reflections. He was warm and listened to us. He also has a good sense of humor—very humble.” Hickey added, “There was no anger—only hope for accountability and lasting change.”
The tone of the meeting stood in contrast to the often fraught relationship between the Vatican and advocacy groups in the past. Previous popes, such as Francis and Benedict XVI, had met with individual survivors but tended to keep advocacy organizations at arm’s length. The decision by Pope Leo to meet with ECA as an activist group was widely seen as a break from tradition and a signal of greater openness. As German participant Matthias Katsch put it, “He said, ‘This is the next historic step: to sit together and talk.’ He allowed us to stay in contact, to have an open channel of communications.”
Janet Aguti, a Ugandan survivor and vice president of ECA’s board, underscored the importance of global collaboration. “We came not only to express our concerns but also to explore how we can work together to ensure the protection of children and vulnerable adults around the world,” she said, according to Crux. Aguti also voiced hope that children in Africa would one day be as well protected as those in countries with stronger policies, noting that cultural barriers often prevent open discussion of abuse in her region. “I left the meeting with hope and I know it is a big step for us, and it’s a historical moment for me.”
The dialogue was initiated after ECA sent a letter to the newly elected Pope Leo, who took office on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis. The group’s appeal was simple but profound: “Inspired by your words upon becoming pope, we come as bridge builders, ready to walk together toward truth, justice and healing,” said Hickey. The survivors also presented their “Zero Tolerance Initiative” and proposed a deeper partnership with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which had just released its second annual report calling for increased awareness and reparations for victims.
Pope Leo, who previously served as a missionary and bishop in Peru, is no stranger to the complexities of addressing clergy abuse. He was known as the point person for listening to victims in the Peruvian bishops’ conference and had worked closely with survivors such as Pedro Salinas, a journalist from Peru who attended the Vatican meeting. In a July interview with Crux, Leo spoke candidly about the challenge of balancing justice for victims with the rights of the accused, describing it as “one of the many challenges that I’m trying to find a way to deal with.” He added, “An authentic and deep sensitivity and compassion to the pain, the suffering that people have endured at the hands of Church ministers, whether that be priests or bishops, laity, religious men or women, catechists, etc. That’s an issue that is with us, and I think it needs to be treated with deep respect.”
The survivors’ meeting with Pope Leo was not initially listed on the official Vatican agenda, but later updates included it, reflecting its growing significance. During the conversation, the pope took pictures with the group and listened intently to their stories, according to CBC News. Evelyn Korkmaz, a Canadian survivor and ECA co-founder, said, “Today I feel like I was heard. I believe he’s going to continue this road to reconciliation.”
While the encounter was described as a “significant moment of dialogue,” participants were realistic about the challenges ahead. Pope Leo reportedly asked the group for patience, acknowledging the enormity of the Church’s scandals and the resistance to change within its ranks. Still, the survivors left the meeting with a renewed sense of hope and determination to continue advocating for reform. As Timothy Law put it, “Our mission is to support those who have been harmed and to promote reforms that protect the most vulnerable, helping to restore trust and integrity in an institution we know is capable of great good.”
The meeting between Pope Leo XIV and ECA may not have produced immediate, sweeping changes, but it did open a new chapter of dialogue and cooperation between the Vatican and survivors’ advocates. Whether this “historic step” will lead to the universal adoption of zero-tolerance policies remains to be seen, but for those in the room, it was a moment of genuine listening and, perhaps, the beginning of a long-overdue transformation.
