Holy See (Vatican)
30 reports indexed, newest first.
February 2026
-
Irish abuse survivor describes apology from Pope Leo after private audience
An Irish survivor said Leo listened and apologized during a private meeting at the Vatican.
October 2025
-
Pope Leo XIV meets survivors' advocacy group at Vatican
Leo held his first meeting with leaders of Ending Clergy Abuse, who pressed for a global zero-tolerance law.
July 2025
-
Survivors allege Pope Leo XIV covered up abuse reports in Peru
Survivors from the Chiclayo diocese said their complaints were not properly handled while Prevost was bishop; the diocese and Vatican have said the case was processed correctly.
May 2025
-
Allegations resurface that new Pope Leo XIV mishandled abuse cases
After Robert Prevost's election, survivor groups revived claims he failed to act on abuse reports in Chicago and Peru, which his former diocese denied.
January 2025
-
Pope Francis dissolves Peru's Sodalitium movement
The Vatican moved to suppress the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae after the investigation documented widespread abuses.
September 2024
-
Pope expels a bishop and nine others from Sodalitium over abuses
Francis expelled ten members, including a retired archbishop, citing physical and sadistic abuse and abuse of power.
August 2024
-
Vatican expels Sodalitium founder Figari
Following the investigation, the Vatican expelled Figari from the movement over abuses including sexual abuse.
July 2023
-
Vatican investigators begin audit of Peru's Sodalitium
Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Msgr. Jordi Bertomeu opened a Vatican inquiry into abuse and financial allegations in Lima.
March 2023
-
Pope makes revised Vos estis abuse law permanent
An updated version of the 2019 law took permanent effect and extended accountability to lay leaders of church associations.
July 2022
-
Pope Francis apologizes in Canada for abuses at church-run residential schools
Speaking at Maskwacis, Alberta, Pope Francis apologized for the role of Catholics in Canada's residential school system, where Indigenous children suffered abuse including sexual abuse.
January 2022
-
Benedict XVI acknowledges faulty testimony to Munich abuse inquiry
The retired pope corrected his statement and acknowledged attending a 1980 meeting about an abusive priest, attributing the error to an editing mistake.
October 2021
-
Pope Francis expresses shame over French church abuse findings
Francis voiced shame at the church's long failure to put victims first after the Sauvé report.
December 2020
-
Paris court convicts former Vatican envoy of sexual assault
Former papal nuncio to France Luigi Ventura received a suspended sentence for sexually assaulting men in Paris.
June 2020
-
Pope moves against Polish bishop accused of shielding abusers
The Vatican sidelined Bishop Edward Janiak of Kalisz under the Vos estis procedures over alleged failures to act on abuse.
December 2019
-
Pope abolishes pontifical secret in abuse cases
Francis lifted pontifical secrecy over abuse cases, allowing church documents to be shared with civil authorities.
May 2019
-
Pope issues Vos estis lux mundi requiring abuse reporting
The motu proprio obliged clergy and religious worldwide to report abuse and cover-up and set procedures for investigating bishops.
February 2019
-
Vatican abuse summit ends with pledge to confront abuse
The four-day Meeting on the Protection of Minors closed with Francis promising decisive action, though survivors said concrete measures were lacking.
December 2018
-
Pope removes Pell and another cardinal from his advisory council
Pope Francis dropped two cardinals linked to abuse cases, including Pell, from his Council of Cardinals.
October 2018
-
Pope defrocks two retired Chilean bishops over abuse
Francis laicized two retired Chilean bishops accused of abusing minors, a rare sanction against bishops.
September 2018
-
Vatican defrocks Chilean priest Fernando Karadima
Pope Francis expelled Karadima from the priesthood, years after a church tribunal found he had abused minors.
-
Pope summons world's bishops to summit on clerical abuse
Francis called the presidents of all bishops' conferences to Rome for a February 2019 meeting on protecting minors.
August 2018
-
Pope Francis visits Ireland amid anger over clergy abuse
Francis traveled to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families as survivors and politicians pressed him on decades of abuse and cover-up.
April 2018
-
Pope admits grave errors in handling Chile abuse crisis
After reading Scicluna's report, Francis wrote to Chile's bishops acknowledging serious mistakes caused by a lack of truthful information and summoned them to Rome.
January 2018
-
Pope sends Archbishop Scicluna to investigate Chile abuse claims
The Vatican dispatched its top abuse investigator to gather testimony about Barros and the Karadima circle.
-
Pope's defense of Bishop Barros causes outrage
Francis said accusations against Barros were slander absent proof, angering survivors; he later apologized for the remark.
March 2017
-
Survivor Marie Collins quits Vatican abuse commission citing resistance
Collins resigned, saying Vatican offices resisted the commission's recommendations.
March 2014
-
Pope names Cardinal O'Malley and survivors to new anti-abuse commission
Francis appointed the first members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, including Irish survivor Marie Collins.
September 2011
-
Holy See rejects claim it obstructed Irish abuse investigations
In a formal response to the Irish government, the Vatican denied it had interfered with child protection in Cloyne while acknowledging failures.
June 2010
-
Vatican indignant over Belgian police raids on church offices
Belgian police seized files from church offices and a cardinal's home in an abuse inquiry, prompting a protest from the Holy See.
March 2010
-
Pope Benedict XVI apologizes to Irish abuse victims in pastoral letter
In a letter to Irish Catholics, Benedict XVI expressed shame and remorse to survivors and rebuked Irish bishops for grave errors, while critics said it did not address Vatican responsibility.