Advocates argue that the Vatican must prioritize protecting children over cultural considerations, yet some church leaders remain hesitant. Survivors point to systemic issues in canon law and secretive proceedings that shield abusive clergy. Pope Francis ...

A former top Vatican official who dealt with clergy sexual abuse issues joined victims on Monday in urging Pope Francis to enact a zero-tolerance law throughout the global Catholic church so any cleric found guilty of abuse would be removed from ministry.

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse have urged the Vatican to expand the zero-tolerance policy it approved for the US Catholic Church in 2002 to the rest of the world, arguing that children everywhere should be protected from predator priests.

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse urged the Vatican on Monday to adopt the same zero-tolerance policy that it approved for the U.S.