Survivors of Sexual Abuse Can Still Hope—But the Vatican Must Choose Justice Over Denial

Denise Buchanan, Ph.D. , Founder, Faith Has Feet and Member of the Brave Movement As a Jamaican survivor of clergy sexual abuse, I write this not only from the place of deep personal pain, but from a position of global purpose. I am the Founder and CEO of Faith Has Feet, an international organization on a mission to create community-based solutions that combine grassroots advocacy, survivor leadership, and policy reform to safeguard children from sexual violence wherever they may live, learn, or worship. We are not only advocating but building avenues to justice, healing, and protection for every child. To date, we have 12,000 youth engaged in Nigeria on a mission to heal and end childhood sexual violence. World leaders will gather in Canada for the 2025 G7 Summit this June, amid immense global uncertainty. The agenda includes critical global priorities: peace and security, economic stability, climate change, digital transformation, and democracy. And yet, absent from this list is one of the most pervasive and devastating human rights violations of our time: child sexual violence. SEE MORE HERE 

I know that the Roman Catholic Church has failed historically to prevent and to root out child sexual violence within its own ranks. I am a Jamaican survivor of such abuse by a priest. Francis spent much of his papacy issuing apologies for clerical sex abuse . His successor must do more. The 135 cardinal electors must ensure the church’s next leader is committed to a public position of zero tolerance of abuse by any of its members. Though a 2021 update to canon law declared sexual abuse criminal and not merely a moral offense, it only imposes certain penalties “where the case calls for it.” The next pope must update canon law to adopt a zero-tolerance law given that sexual abuse is a grave crime against the life, dignity and freedom of victims. It must be applied without exception, and in sexual abuse cases, the church must release sufficient information to demonstrate compliance with these rules. He must establish an independent compliance agency to investigate, document and publicly identify people of authority in the church who contributed — through their negligence or intentional acts — to concealing abusive priests. This conclave must select a new pope with the commitment — and the record — to show he has never and will never tolerate the abuse of children within the church, nor the secrecy that enabled it. We need more than apologies; we need change. Read the full article here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/05/06/francis-catholics-pope-trump-ai-vance/ Denise Buchanan, PhD. , Los AngelesThe writer is the CEO, Faith Has Feet, and a member of the Brave Movement.

Your Holiness Pope Leo XIV,  Today, as you meet with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, I write to you not only as a survivor of clergy sexual abuse, but as one voice among thousands who have endured profound suffering and who are working tirelessly to ensure no child ever endures what we did. I am a Jamaican woman of Nigerian ancestry, and the founder of Faith Has Feet, a global faith-based organization devoted to safeguarding children and empowering survivors. Over the past eight years, many of us have helped build a global network of survivors and advocates across the world—people who are united by pain, resilience, and an unshakable determination to ensure justice and prevention. But this work cannot advance without your leadership. And leadership, in this moment, demands listening. The time has come for the Church to make a decisive shift: survivors must no longer be excluded from the rooms where decisions about safeguarding are made. Although there may be a few survivors on the Pontifical Commission, the question must be asked—how can the Commission be effective in preventing clergy abuse without listening directly to those who are still muted and in pain working for years seeing no pathway for justice? Survivors in regions such as Africa and across the Diaspora have been especially marginalized. Our experiences, our perspectives, and our wisdom are too often silenced. Yet it is in these very places that clergy abuse has gone unacknowledged, hidden beneath layers of secrecy and shame. Your Holiness, if you are serious about protecting minors and restoring the moral credibility of the Church, you must: Meet with Survivors Directly – not only from the Global North, but from across the Global South and the Diaspora. Our perspectives are indispensable. Update Canon Law to Include a Universal Zero-Tolerance Law – recognizing sexual abuse as a grave crime against life, dignity, and freedom. Enforcement must be consistent and transparent. Establish an Independent Global Survivor Council – with the authority to investigate, document, and publicly identify those within the Church who, through negligence or intentional acts, concealed abuse or enabled abusers. Ensure Compliance Through Oversight – granting the Survivor Council true enforcement power to monitor how zero-tolerance is applied in every diocese. This is a pivotal moment. You have the opportunity to lead the Church into an era of bold transparency, meaningful accountability, and survivor-centered justice. Will you rise to that calling? Will you direct the Pontifical Commission to open the door to this level of engagement and inclusion? The world is watching. Survivors everywhere are waiting—not simply to be acknowledged, but to be included as partners in building a Church where the safety and dignity of children come before all else. With hope, urgency, and in solidarity, Denise Buchanan, PhD , Survivor of Clergy Sexual Abuse, Founder, Faith Has Feet, Jamaican-Nigerian Advocate for Global Survivor Justice, Member of the IADC Pontifical Gregorian University IADC Advisory Committee and Member of the Brave Movement

Today I witnessed the signing of the Take It Down Act. It is not just legislation, it was a national reckoning with the digital expoitation of our children and it was a profoundly personal moment—a victory for every survivor whose voice was once silenced by shame and fear. For Ben Holman and I, who were invited as Members of the Brave Movement, this law represents more than legislation—it’s a declaration that in the digital age, dignity, safety, and justice are not optional; they are essential. First lady Melania Trump, who championed the legislation, said, "This legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American, especially young people, can feel better protected from their image or identity being abused through nonconsensual, intimate imagery," she said at the ceremony. "Artificial Intelligence and social media are the digital candy for the next generation — sweet, addictive and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children, but unlike sugar, these new technologies can be weaponized, shape beliefs and, sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly." READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Welcoming everyone in dialogue and love. I, and many other survivors of child sexual violence by priests, accept this invitation. We have already crafted a “zero-tolerance law” alongside canon lawyers. The next crucial step is for Leo to include survivors in discussions that will accelerate a way forward. A Global Survivor Council, with the authority to oversee and enforce compliance with the zero-tolerance law, would be a profound indicator that the church is ready to confront this clergy abuse crisis with genuine accountability. The track record of the U.S.-born pope is an indication of the level-setting and leadership that he will take into the forward momentum of the church — one that we hope prioritizes justice over reputation. Survivors have the ability to forgive missteps of the past; however, there must be a trajectory toward healing and justice for those harmed. Leo’s words, “God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail,” set the tone for his papacy. Survivors now look with expectation that the pope will ensure the evil of clergy sexual abuse will no longer prevail. Leo has an opportunity to lead the church into an era of unwavering transparency, accountability and survivor-centered justice. Will he rise to the challenge? The world is watching. Survivors everywhere are waiting. #bravemovement #faith_has_feet #PopeLeoXIV #Survivors #bebrave Read the story here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/05/08/american-pope-letters-leo-xiv-robert-prevost/

On 26 January 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) took a historic step by calling for the recognition of abuse in institutions across Europe (Resolution 2533). The decision highlighted the necessity for thorough reparation for all types of violence against children, such as sexual abuse, physical violence, and mistreatment in various institutions. Contributions from 22,285 victims and survivors worldwide, shared through the Global Our Voice Survivor Survey, supported the case for this significant decision. At  Faith Has Feet  , we believe that safe environments for our children, whether in churches or other spaces, requires everyone's involvement. Leaders will not hold themselves accountable, so it is our responsibility to do so, and I invite you to embrace this mandate.

Having faith is a powerful force, but true impact comes from turning belief into action. FAITH HAS FEET is an organization dedicated to doing just that—mobilizing communities and individuals to create tangible change where it's needed most.

In a world where community needs continue to grow, organizations that prioritize action over words become pillars of hope and change. FAITH HAS FEET is one such organization—a movement dedicated to transforming lives through education, entrepreneurship, food security, social justice advocacy, and community building.