Pope Leo XIV Urges Italian Catholic Church to Develop Abuse Prevention Culture Amid Global Crisis

Nov 20, 2025 11:09 pm CST

Pope Leo XIV has called on the Italian Catholic Church to develop a comprehensive "culture of prevention" regarding clerical child sexual abuse, addressing longstanding criticisms about Italy's delayed response to this worldwide crisis. While emphasizing victim support, survivor groups express disappointment that concrete actions and investigations remain lacking in Italy, where an estimated 1,106 priests have been accused of abuse since 2000.