January 2, 2018.

His Holiness, Pope Francis
Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican City.

Dear Pope Francis,

We are writing to you as global survivors of rape and sexual assault by clergy. Our organization represents prominent survivor organizational leaders and activists from around the world, including the United States.  

As the American bishops gather today at your direction in Chicago, we are writing to you with our concerns over two U.S. Cardinals who are playing leading roles in your upcoming February summit on abuse.  

We are also writing to urge you to include in your February summit the most important voices in the sexual abuse crisis:  the leadership from […]

As Americans bishops gather in Illinois, survivors demand Pope remove two US Cardinals from prominent roles in papal summit. 

Findings in explosive Illinois AG report “disqualifies” Chicago Cardinal Cupich from major appointment. 
 
Cardinal DiNardo of Texas also “unfit to lead” US delegation in Rome, survivors say.

Summit will have “no credibility” if led by prelates who cover-up child sex crimes.

Francis must include global survivor groups in summit.

Bishop Coyne, Cardinal DiNardo, and Bishop Doherty at the USCCB press conference in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 12, 2018. Credit: Christine Rousselle/CNA.

WHAT
At a sidewalk news conference, the leading global and US organizations representing clergy abuse survivors will

• Release a joint letter sent today by the two organizations to Pope Francis urging him to remove Cardinal Blase Cupich from his […]
  

November 14, 2018. The US bishops came to Baltimore this week assuring Catholics and the public that they would act with “intense urgency” to implement comprehensive and tough reforms to hold themselves accountable for the decades long cover up of child sex crimes across the United States.

[…]

November 14, 2018. President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, began the week by announcing that per the Vatican, no vote would be taken on measures to reform the process of the investigation of allegations of sexual misconduct against bishops or the bishops’ negligence in responding to allegations.

The bishops are expected today to present concrete working proposals that describe how they intend to repair their irrevocably damaged credibility, now considerably worsened by their inaction so far this week.

U.S. bishops have demonstrated that they cannot act to protect U.S. children and hold themselves accountable to U.S. laws.

Both the reporting system and the Special Commission described in yesterday’s meeting are accountable to no one but the Vatican. The results of the investigations will […]

November 13, 2018. At this morning’s USCCB Assembly, Vice President Most Reverend José H. Gomez unveiled a third party reporting system for clergy sex abuse claims that had been approved by a leadership committee in September, telling the conference it was not an actionable item requiring their vote.

He went on to describe the system – a toll-free number and internet link intended to gather and transmit claims of sexual abuse of minors, sexual harassment and misconduct with adults, and mishandling of complaints by bishops and cardinals. It was made clear that this system would not investigate the claims, but simply gather information. The investigations will be conducted by a special commission.

Saying “some people think you should […]