Pope meets child protection advisory board amid call for zero tolerance on abuse
There are also demands from survivors that he enacts a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church.
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is made up of religious and lay experts in fighting abuse as well as survivors, called the hour-ong audience a 'significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewal of the church's unwavering commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people'.
The group said it updated history's first American pope on its activities, including an initiative to help church communities in poorer parts of the world prevent abuse and care for victims.
The Vatican did not provide the text of Leo's remarks or make the audio of the audience available to reporters.
Pope Francis created the commission early on in his pontificate to advise the church on best practices and placed a trusted official, Boston's then-archbishop, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, in charge.
But as the abuse scandal spread globally during Francis' 12-year pontificate, the commission lost its influence its crowning recommendation — the creation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests — went nowhere.
After many years of reform and new members, it has become a place where victims can go to be heard and bishops can get advice on crafting guidelines to fight abuse.
Cardinal O'Malley turned 80 last year and retired as archbishop of Boston, but he remains president of the commission and headed the delegation meeting with Leo in the Apostolic Palace.
It has often fallen to Cardinal O'Malley to speak out on cases that have arrived at the Vatican, including one that remains on Leo's desk: The fate of the ex-Jesuit artist, the Rev Marko Rupnik, who has been accused by two dozen women of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse over decades.
After coming under criticism that a fellow Jesuit had apparently received preferential treatment, Francis in 2023 ordered the Vatican to waive the statute of limitations on the case and prosecute him canonically.
But as recently as March, the Vatican still had not found judges to open the trial. Meanwhile, the victims are still waiting for justice and Rev Rupnik continues to minister, with his supporters defending him and denouncing a 'media lynching' campaign against him.
Leo, the Chicago-born former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has been credited by victims of helping to dismantle an abusive Catholic movement in Peru, where he served as bishop for many years.
But other survivors have asked him to account for other cases while he was a superior in the Augustinian religious order, bishop in Peru and head of the Vatican's bishops' office.
The main US survivor group, Snap, has also called for Leo to adopt the US policy calling for any priest who has been credibly accused of abuse to be permanently removed from ministry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
UK government walks back controversial Apple ‘back door' demand after Trump administration pressure
UK Digital privacy Tech giants Digital securityFacebookTweetLink Follow The UK government has backed down on a controversial demand for Apple to build a 'back door' into its technology to access private user data following pressure from the Trump administration. The order could have undermined a key security promise Apple makes to its users — the company has said it has not and would never build a backdoor or 'master key' to its products — and compromised privacy for users globally. UK officials had reportedly sought access to encrypted data that users around the world store in iCloud, materials that even the iPhone maker itself is typically unable to access. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X Monday that the United Kingdom 'agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a 'back door' that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.' Gabbard said that over the 'past few months,' she had been 'working closely with our partners in the UK,' alongside President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, on the agreement. A source familiar with the discussions told CNN that Gabbard spoke with her counterpart in the UK, Deputy National Security Advisory Matt Collins, a few times about the issue, including once when the UK delegation visited the White House. Vance was also personally involved in reaching a deal, engaging in direct conversations with British government officials to come to what was considered a 'mutually beneficial' agreement for both countries, a White House official told CNN. No further details on the agreement were provided. The British Home Office reportedly made the order under the Investigatory Powers Act that lets UK law enforcement compel access to communications and metadata from tech companies in secret, although the agency never confirmed the demand. The Home Office did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on Tuesday. Reports about the order earlier this year quickly raised alarm among security experts and tech leaders who worried that Apple could be used by a foreign government to spy on its users. The company in February rolled back a data security feature for iCloud called Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for users in the United Kingdom. The feature provides optional end-to-end encryption for personal data such as photos and messages, meaning only the user who holds the account, not even the company itself could view that information. Without end-to-end encryption, Apple could have access to users' data, meaning law enforcement could legally compel the company to hand it over to aid in investigating crimes. Removing the feature for UK users was widely viewed as an effort to protect more advanced security for users elsewhere in the world in the face of the UK government's demand for a technical back door. But it didn't necessarily address the UK's demand for access to user data globally. Apple said in a statement at the time that it was 'gravely disappointed' to no longer offer ADP to UK users, 'given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy.' Apple did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on the UK government's retreat from the demand. Tech executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, have sought to foster close relationships with Trump since he took office in hopes of gaining his support on key policy and regulatory issues. The UK agreement marks the latest instance of the Trump administration convincing a foreign government to walk back regulation of an American tech company. In June, Canada said it would rescind a digital services tax — which Trump had called a 'direct and blatant attack' on the United States and its companies — to restart trade negotiations with the US.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
For Trump, Flashy Summits Come First. Grunt Work Comes Next.
First, President Trump rolled out the red carpet for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for a high-stakes summit in Alaska. Then he brought the president of Ukraine and seven other European leaders to the White House for an extraordinary gathering to discuss an end to the war. Now comes the grunt work. Mr. Trump in the past week has effectively flipped the traditional diplomatic process on its head. After two critical meetings in four days aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, American and European diplomats scrambled to come up with detailed proposals for security guarantees and other sticking points that could upend any momentum to secure peace. Already, major gaps were becoming evident, including whether Russia would countenance U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, and whether Mr. Putin was serious about meeting with Mr. Zelensky face to face. Ironing out the details typically happens between staffers and diplomats before leaders step in to finalize the agreement. But Mr. Trump, ever one to toss out norms and traditions, went big last week in Alaska with Mr. Putin, then again at the White House on Monday, without any breakthroughs to announce. Now, with Russia continuing to hammer Ukraine and no sign that Mr. Trump or Mr. Putin see a cease-fire as a precondition for a deal, the process risks devolving into a diplomatic version of trench warfare. So far, at least, Mr. Putin has a free hand to continue his war against his neighbor without immediate concern for further penalty. 'In a normal American administration you have all kinds of preparation,' said Steven Pifer, a former ambassador to Ukraine under President Bill Clinton. 'This is very unusual.' He added: 'The risk I see is that he doesn't prepare the details. My impression is that he wants a deal. He wants any deal so he can claim, 'I solved another war.' But the details matter.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
UK government walks back controversial Apple ‘back door' demand after Trump administration pressure
UK Digital privacy Tech giants Digital securityFacebookTweetLink Follow The UK government has backed down on a controversial demand for Apple to build a 'back door' into its technology to access private user data following pressure from the Trump administration. The order could have undermined a key security promise Apple makes to its users — the company has said it has not and would never build a backdoor or 'master key' to its products — and compromised privacy for users globally. UK officials had reportedly sought access to encrypted data that users around the world store in iCloud, materials that even the iPhone maker itself is typically unable to access. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X Monday that the United Kingdom 'agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a 'back door' that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.' Gabbard said that over the 'past few months,' she had been 'working closely with our partners in the UK,' alongside President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, on the agreement. A source familiar with the discussions told CNN that Gabbard spoke with her counterpart in the UK, Deputy National Security Advisory Matt Collins, a few times about the issue, including once when the UK delegation visited the White House. Vance was also personally involved in reaching a deal, engaging in direct conversations with British government officials to come to what was considered a 'mutually beneficial' agreement for both countries, a White House official told CNN. No further details on the agreement were provided. The British Home Office reportedly made the order under the Investigatory Powers Act that lets UK law enforcement compel access to communications and metadata from tech companies in secret, although the agency never confirmed the demand. The Home Office did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on Tuesday. Reports about the order earlier this year quickly raised alarm among security experts and tech leaders who worried that Apple could be used by a foreign government to spy on its users. The company in February rolled back a data security feature for iCloud called Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for users in the United Kingdom. The feature provides optional end-to-end encryption for personal data such as photos and messages, meaning only the user who holds the account, not even the company itself could view that information. Without end-to-end encryption, Apple could have access to users' data, meaning law enforcement could legally compel the company to hand it over to aid in investigating crimes. Removing the feature for UK users was widely viewed as an effort to protect more advanced security for users elsewhere in the world in the face of the UK government's demand for a technical back door. But it didn't necessarily address the UK's demand for access to user data globally. Apple said in a statement at the time that it was 'gravely disappointed' to no longer offer ADP to UK users, 'given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy.' Apple did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on the UK government's retreat from the demand. Tech executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, have sought to foster close relationships with Trump since he took office in hopes of gaining his support on key policy and regulatory issues. The UK agreement marks the latest instance of the Trump administration convincing a foreign government to walk back regulation of an American tech company. In June, Canada said it would rescind a digital services tax — which Trump had called a 'direct and blatant attack' on the United States and its companies — to restart trade negotiations with the US.
