The Pope’s meeting with victims of sexual abuse is the first to be held with people who have suffered this crime, which often remains in impunity and opacity due to the secrecy with which the Catholic Church usually treats these types of acts.
MADRID, Oct. 20 (EUROPA PRESS).- The Papa received this Monday at Vatican to six members of the board of directors of Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) Globalan international human rights organization that advocates for greater support and reparations for victims of abuseaccording to the official portal of the Vatican Vatican News.
According to the portal, this is the first meeting of the Pope Leo XIV since his election with a group of victims of abuse y activists who fight against this sexual violence. The private meeting took place at Apostolic Palace and it went on for about an hour.
The ECA Global network, which operates primarily in the United States, has advocated since its founding in 2018 for the Catholic Church to follow the 2014 United Nations recommendations for an effective zero-tolerance policy against abuse.
The members of the ECA celebrated that this Monday’s meeting with the pontiff represents a “historic and hopeful step towards greater cooperation.”
Gemma Hickey, a victim of sexual violence at the hands of a priest who was first dismissed and then transferred to two parishes, stated that “each one shared his thoughts” and “Pope Leo XIV” “listened to them.”
“Today we feel heard,” stressed Pedro Salinas, a victim of abuse in Sodalicio, in Peru.
For her part, the Vice President of the ECA Board of Directors, Janet Aguti, from Uganda, highlighted that they not only want to express their concerns, but also “explore how to work together to ensure the protection of children and vulnerable adults around the world.”
They also presented their “Zero Tolerance Initiative” project to the pontiff, emphasizing “the importance of consistent global standards and victim-centered policies.”
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