Many Reflect on Pope Francis’ Achievements Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in Wake of His Death

As Catholics across the globe continue to mourn Pope Francis’ death and praise his contributions, survivors reflect on his reforms to help prevent child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and hope the next Pope continues what he started

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, tributes and reflections poured in from around the world to honor his legacy. His papacy was marked by great achievements but also had some dark moments as deep truths surrounding the Catholic Church and systemic failings were brought to the forefront.

Within the first days of his papacy, Pope Francis was delivered a mysterious “white box” from his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, telling him “I have arrived this far, taken these actions, removed these people. Now it’s your turn.” The box was full of documents and names of priests who were accused of child sexual abuse in the Church. Pope Francis described the box as containing some of the Church’s most painful abuse stories; “cases of abuse, corruption, dark dealings, wrongdoings.”

Pope Francis’s tenure was marked by growing outrage over abuse in the Catholic Church—exposed eleven years before he became Pope, in part by the Boston Globe in 2002. Many felt Pope Francis was slow to act and failed to dismantle the culture that protected abusers. Pope Francis spearhead many renewal efforts and launched reforms aimed at fostering greater accountability and transparency within the Church. One of Pope Francis’ notable reforms was holding a four-day summit at the Vatican where cardinals and bishops were addressed by survivors and made recommendations to the Church; which led to new policy making it a legal obligation to report abuse to Vatican officials.

Despite the criticism he faced, Pope Francis showed a willingness to confront child sexual abuse occurring in the Catholic Church. However, more work still needs to be done. Survivors now call on the conclave, a group of 135 Cardinals from across the globe who will meet to choose the next pope (starting on May 7, 2025), with hope they will select a pope who can continue Pope Francis’ legacy, make more revisions, and bring systemic change in the Church to end child sexual abuse.

If you or a loved one experienced child sexual abuse from a member of the Catholic Church or another religious institution, you are not alone.