Victims’ groups demand a clean break from a papacy marked by selective justice, urging the next pope to deliver real accountability and end clerical protectionism.
As the College of Cardinals gathers in Rome ahead of the May 7 conclave to elect a new pope, survivors of clerical sexual abuse are sounding an alarm that cannot be ignored. For all the gestures of reform during the late Pope Francis’s pontificate, victims and advocates charge that his legacy on abuse was one of failure, selective justice, and repeated betrayal.
The upcoming conclave, they insist, must mark a definitive break. Nothing less than the Church’s moral credibility is at stake.
An Era of Reforms That Protected the Powerful
Pope Francis’s defenders point to notable measures during his reign: the abolition of the “pontifical secret” in abuse cases, the 2019 motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi, and the laicization of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. But for survivor groups, these were often reactionary or selectively enforced. Beneath the rhetoric of zero tolerance, they say, lay a dangerous pattern: preferential treatment for the well-connected and leniency toward ideological allies.
Survivors and Catholic reform organizations have cited multiple high-profile cases where Pope Francis either protected accused clerics or acted only after public outrage made inaction untenable:
- Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard publicly admitted in 2022 to abusing a 14-year-old girl in the 1980s, yet retained the privileges of the cardinalate under Francis’s watch¹.
- Fr. Marko Rupnik, accused of sexually and spiritually abusing multiple women, was initially shielded by the Vatican, expelled from the Jesuits for disobedience, and later incardinated into a diocese².
- Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, convicted in 2022 for sexually abusing seminarians, was given a Vatican post during his investigation and received lenient treatment from Francis³.
- Fr. Mauro Inzoli, convicted in civil court for abusing boys, was initially defrocked by Benedict XVI, but reinstated to ministry by Francis in 2014—only to be removed again after scandal⁴.
- Fr. Julio César Grassi, a high-profile Argentine priest convicted of abuse, benefited from a legal report commissioned by then-Cardinal Bergoglio defending his innocence⁵.
- Cardinal Juan Barros of Chile, accused of covering up abuse, was initially defended by Francis as a victim of “slander” before the pope reversed course and accepted his resignation⁶.
- Roger Vangheluwe, Belgian bishop and admitted abuser of two minors, was not laicized until 2024—over a decade after confessing⁷.
These cases reflect what many now see as the deep structural flaw of Francis’s approach: symbolic progress paired with tactical obstruction when reputations or internal loyalties were on the line.
“Conclave Watch”: Survivors Demand a Break with the Past
In response, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has launched an initiative titled Conclave Watch, scrutinizing the voting cardinals for any past complicity or inaction. SNAP has described Francis’s legacy on abuse as a “preventable catastrophe”⁸.
Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA), an international coalition, has joined SNAP in demanding that the next pope:
- Enforce a universal, binding zero-tolerance policy
- Laicize all convicted or credibly accused clergy
- Publicly release the names of such clergy worldwide
- Establish independent lay oversight of episcopal actions
- Include survivors in Church decision-making and safeguarding bodies⁹
Both groups have condemned the Vatican’s 2024 directive reasserting that publishing lists of “credibly accused” clergy violates canon law¹⁰—a move they view as deeply regressive and contrary to the principles of justice and prevention.
The Old Guard Lurks
The presence of figures like Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, sanctioned by Francis in 2019 and accused of concealing abuse in Peru, has further outraged victims¹¹. Though too old to vote, Cipriani’s involvement in pre-conclave meetings underscores what critics call a persistent clerical culture of impunity.
Survivors also warn that many cardinals under consideration for the papacy have troubling records. “If one of them emerges wearing white,” said a SNAP spokesperson, “it will be a betrayal dressed as tradition.”
Toward a Purified Church
This conclave will either mark a watershed moment—or a recommitment to evasion. Without meaningful reform, the Church risks repeating the cycle of abuse and denial that has shattered countless lives.
Survivors—many of whom still hold to the faith despite its failings—are watching. And this time, they are not alone.
Footnotes
¹ The Guardian, “French cardinal admits abuse of 14-year-old,” Nov 2022
² Le Monde, “Vatican knew of Rupnik abuse for years,” Sep 2024
³ AP News, “Argentine bishop convicted, remains under Vatican protection,” Mar 2022
⁴ National Catholic Reporter, “Francis reversed defrocking of convicted Italian priest,” 2014
⁵ Associated Press, “Report defending Grassi commissioned by Bergoglio,” 2010
⁶ Crux, “Pope admits grave error in Barros case,” Apr 2018
⁷ Reuters, “Belgian bishop laicized years after abuse confession,” Sep 2024
⁸ SNAP Network, “Survivors mourn the tragedy of Francis’s papacy,” Apr 2025
⁹ ECA Coalition, “Statement on conclave and future reform,” Apr 2025
¹⁰ The Pillar, “Vatican condemns publication of abuse lists,” May 2024
¹¹ Crux Now, “Cipriani’s presence at pre-conclave draws criticism,” Apr 2025
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