FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ECA to Pope Leo: Our Door Is Open

Global Coalition Urges Pope to Turn Words into Action on Clergy Abuse

Rome, June 26, 2025 — Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA), a global coalition of survivor-advocates and allies, welcomes Pope Leo XIV’s recent call for bishops to take “firm and decisive” action on clergy sexual abuse. As reported by the Catholic News Agency, the Pope emphasized the need for full transparency and accountability, a message that survivor groups have long fought to have heard.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/264989/pope-leo-xiv-calls-bishops-to-be-firm-and-decisive-in-dealing-with-abuse

“We’re encouraged by the Pope’s bold words,” said Gemma Hickey, ECA Board President. “But words alone cannot protect children and vulnerable adults. That’s why we’ve submitted a formal request for a private audience to share our survivor-led blueprint for reform. We trust his recent statement signals a genuine willingness to engage.”

Why This Moment Matters

  • The crisis is ongoing: Clergy abuse continues to devastate lives worldwide, especially in the Global South, where survivors are silenced and perpetrators protected by weak press freedoms, compromised justice systems, and institutional secrecy.
  • It’s systemic, not isolated: Investigations from Canada to Chile expose entrenched patterns of cover-up, not just individual misconduct, putting the public at continued risk.
  • Public trust has shattered: Dioceses across North America face financial collapse. Survivors are still waiting for justice, while the faithful lose hope as churches are sold off and communities fracture.

What ECA Proposes

In October 2024, ECA and the Institute of Anthropology: Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care (IADC) at the Pontifical Gregorian University unveiled proposed revisions to Canon Law. Developed at a historic summit in June 2024, the framework draws on United Nations recommendations, and precedents such as the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (also known as the Dallas Charter), adopted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in response to public outcry.

In both 2014 and 2021, UN treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee Against Torture, urged the Vatican to mandate reporting of abuse to civil authorities, end the practice of transferring accused clerics, and hold bishops accountable for cover-ups. While the Dallas Charter marked progress in the U.S., it lacked universal enforcement, excluded bishops, and failed to prevent ongoing abuse. The ECA-IADC framework seeks to close those gaps, establishing clear, enforceable Church-wide standards that align with global child protection and human rights norms.

“ECA’s invitation to Pope Leo is as real as the suffering of survivors and parishioners around the world,” Hickey added. “To truly heal what has been broken, the Church must move beyond words and begin the hard, holy work of restoring public trust. Our door is open, and we stand ready to welcome him in.”

Media Availability

Gemma Hickey, Canadian author, survivor-advocate, and subject of the documentary Just Be Gemma (Walsh Productions), is currently in Rome meeting with safeguarding leaders and Canadian diplomats. As part of Umbria Pride, and in partnership with the Canadian Embassy, Hickey will also participate in a screening of the film, which chronicles their journey as a non-binary survivor of clergy abuse and their landmark 2017 legal victory securing gender-neutral identification. 

  • In-person (Rome): Friday, June 27 and Monday, June 30
  • Remote (online/phone): Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29

For More Information:

Gemma Hickey (they/them)
President, Ending Clergy Abuse
???? +1 709 690 5244
???? gemmamhickey@gmail.com
???? www.ecaglobal.org