The Catholic Church has a long history of allowing children to be sexually abused by people in power and then covering it up. Pope Francis himself covered up sexual crimes in Argentina before becoming pope and failed to use his authority to eradicate abuse within the Catholic Church. 

Children deserve a church with a zero tolerance policy against sexual abuse. We, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are calling on the next pope to use his authority immediately to remove abusive clergy and hold leaders accountable for concealing the abuse. 

Survivors around the world are still being failed by a system that shields abusers, protects secrecy, and refuses to fully cooperate with law enforcement.

With the death of Pope Francis, the Church is at a crossroads. The next pope must do more than offer prayers. He must make justice mandatory.

The bishops of the world – including the 135 cardinals who will choose the next pope – collectively possess knowledge of thousands of abusive priests still serving in parishes and schools. We must demand a true zero tolerance policy, which means removing these offenders immediately and holding bishops accountable for keeping them in ministry. 

If we fail, rapists and pedophiles will continue to be protected and employed by the church while children will spend the rest of their lives trying to survive the trauma of their abuse. 

Sign now to demand real, lasting change from the next pope.

SNAP is the largest, oldest and most active support group for people wounded by religious and institutional authorities. Visit snapnetwork.org to get support, connect with other survivors, and learn more about our work.