On October 20, 2025, for the first time in his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV officially received in an audience victims of abuse committed by members of the clergy. The encounter, held discreetly in the morning, was reported in a statement from the Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) network. The Holy See also confirmed that the meeting had taken place. I.MEDIA was able to speak with one of the participants.
The participants noted a "very warm welcome" and had a "deeply meaningful conversation" revealing a "shared commitment to justice, healing, and real change."
According to ECA, the delegation received at the Vatican was composed of victims and “human rights defenders” belonging to this association. The ECA was founded in the United States in 2017 and now has members from 27 countries. The Pope reportedly agreed to this meeting after receiving a letter from ECA shortly after his election.
A warm welcome
“The Pope gave us a very warm welcome and spent much more time with us than expected. We stayed with him for almost an hour,” Matthias Katsch, one of the six participants, told I.MEDIA. According to the German, who is a member of the ECA board of directors, the Pope “made it clear that he wants to address this issue within the Catholic Church and that he is looking for ways to move forward in the fight against abuse.”
ECA members presented the Pope with their latest project, a “zero tolerance” initiative which calls for the establishment of “consistent global standards and survivor-centered policies.” The Pontiff invited the international coalition to liaise with the relevant institutions of the Roman Curia and to continue discussions with him, Katsch said.
The meeting took place a few days after the publication of the second annual report of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The document, criticized for its lack of concrete figures and the commission's lack of power, “puts its finger on the wound, but the question remains: who has the authority to act?” said the ECA spokesperson.
“A deeply meaningful conversation”
Among those received by the Pope on Monday were victims of abuse from Canada, Uganda, and Germany. “This was a deeply meaningful conversation,” said ECA President Gemma Hickey after the meeting, referring to “a shared commitment to justice, healing, and real change.”
“Our goal is not confrontation, but accountability, transparency, and a willingness to walk together toward solutions,” said Tim Law, one of ECA's co-founders, who was also present at the meeting.
The Pope's stance on abuse
In his first book interview, due out in English soon, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the abuse crisis within the Church, acknowledging that healing would take “time” because the deep wounds of the victims could not be healed with “financial compensation.” He believed that while it was “very healthy” for victims to speak out, the Church had not “always found the best way to manage” their support and should refer to professionals.
The Pontiff also called for respect for the rights of the accused. While “statistics show that well over 90% of accusations” are proven, “false accusations” have destroyed priests, he said, calling for faster procedures.
Finally, the Pope declared that “the issue of sexual abuse cannot become the center of attention for the Church.” According to him, “the Church also has a mission to proclaim the Gospel” and cannot focus “exclusively” on abuse.
