We've known for decades about the abuse being covered up by the Catholic church. It's been long enough. With the recent spotlight on the abuse and deaths at the residential schools in Canada (6,509 children found dead so far) and the sexual acts of violence towards children in France (~330,000) - it's time to clean house. This isn't new information - we've been telling the "abusive Catholic preacher" jokes for years.

The Catholic church is an extremely large and dangerous entity. Canada and France are just two areas in which we know the church has been operating - there are many, many more victims. At this point, the Catholic church is a criminal enterprise and we should actively uncover the bad actors in their ranks.

World Leaders:

1. Investigate the church and hold the bad actors accountable. Launch investigations to uncover just how widespread the abuse is since the church clearly isn't going to do it on it's own. 
2. Stop letting them hide behind their "moral high grounds" and tax exemptions until they have cleaned up their act.  

Pope Francis:

1. Review and dismiss every member at every level who is in any way a perpetrator of sexual violence. It's time to take action towards helping the victims instead of your "prayers." Stop being a safe haven for pedophiles, abusers, and other criminals. A religion that claims peace and love but harbours dangerous individuals and promotes a safe space for abuse is hypocritical. Take aggressive action and chase the rats out of the nest.
2. Pay the victims. Support the victims in accessing psychological help for their traumas. No amount of praying or looking the other way is going to erase the lives stolen and souls traumatized by abuse at your church's hands.

Additional Information:

• Truth and Reconciliation Reports
• Bishop Accountability - Documenting the Abuse Crisis in the Roman Catholic Church

Related Petitions:

• https://www.change.org/p/justin-trudeau-suspend-the-canadian-catholic-church-s-charitable-status-over-residential-schools
• https://www.change.org/p/anglican-catholic-church-catholic-church-must-apologize-for-residential-schools-the-murdered-children-in-canada
• https://www.change.org/p/justin-trudeau-end-public-funding-of-catholic-schools
• https://www.change.org/p/abus-sexuels-l-%C3%A9glise-catholique-doit-prendre-ses-responsabilit%C3%A9s