Pope Francis passed away on April 21st, 2025. With him, the last hope for Church abuse survivors is also gone.
Survivors of clergy sex abuse report not feeling optimistic about the direction of the Catholic Church. They are afraid that the next Pope won’t be in their corner in their fight against injustice. They are not sure if the new Pope will implement any of the reforms to put a stop to abuse in churches all across the world. Many of the survivors express a profound sense of betrayal and distrust.
Those who have suffered at the hands of the Church’s abuse will never get the justice they want. The bureaucracy of the system is very strong. Also, the internal practice of the Church to let things be as they are will not bring the changes abuse victims and survivors want.
Survivors are also sure that the new administration will pull back all the progress made under Pope Francis.
Pope Francis received recognition for his efforts to promote inclusivity in the LGBTQ community. He also recognized the Church’s inaction on sexual abuse. However, many would like to argue that he was unable to accomplish anything of profound value.
The late Pope Francis views on LGBTQ+ in the church.
A true man of god. pic.twitter.com/AxIM7Go5wj
— Some Joker🐻🃏 (@some_jokerr) April 22, 2025
There were no systematic reforms. His failing health was one of the biggest reasons for inaction on his part.
Since the beginning of his pontification, Pope Francis wanted to tackle the issue of abuse in the Church. He wanted to promote a new era of transparency. He even formed commissions and started the conversations.
However, none of this came to any fruition. Francis had to fight the internal bureaucracy of the Church. There were resignations from his abuse panels. These showcased how much opposition he was facing in front of his own people.
Mitchell Garabedian is a lawyer and one of the survivors. He has defended many of the abuse victims against the Church. He regretfully says that Pope Francis’s efforts did not provide any accountability to the Church.
A new conclave will assemble and look for the new Pope among them soon. New papal candidates are adding more to the anxiety of the survivors. Their past and the areas they belong to does not instill any confidence in the survivors.
Some cardinals come from areas that have a history of mishandling abuse cases. Many have extremely conservative views on homosexuality.
“Pope Francis was basically insulting to survivors because he did not state concrete action, portrayed the Church as being a victim,” said Mitchell Garabedian, victim attorney.
Many observers frame this as an information gathering, though unprecedented. https://t.co/riomBvvomL
— William Beaulieu (@William08640111) March 5, 2019
The election of such leaders would solidify old customs and postpone the reform, according to the survivors. They also feel that these candidates will continue the old practices of the Church and will not change or reform the old thought processes.
According to survivors and their advocates, a renewed commitment to transparency is urgently needed. Canon 489 files are secret archives. These are believed to have crucial information about abuse incidents around the world.
The release of these files is the main demand they have made. Survivors believe that in order to rebuild trust and bring about long-overdue justice, public disclosure is necessary.
Clerical sexual abuse victim Juan Carlos Cruz has kept his letters from the late Pope Francis, with whom he says he developed a ‘magical’ friendship https://t.co/KNHtNHxYiX pic.twitter.com/dulwQYg2XR
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 25, 2025
The next Pope will have a huge challenge. People will look up to him for reviving faith while making sure the most vulnerable members of the Church are protected.
Survivors emphasize the necessity of a true break from the culture of secrecy and enforceable child protection laws under canon law. They worry that the Church runs the risk of continuing the same pattern of abuse and secrecy that has afflicted it for many years. There have to be monumental changes for the Church to change its legacy of abuse.
