Pope meets with child protection advisory board amid concerns over past abuse cases

Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican’s child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church.

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which is made up of religious and lay experts in fighting abuse as well as survivors, called the hourlong audience a “significant moment of reflection, dialogue, and renewal of the church’s unwavering commitment to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people.” The group said it updated history’s first American pope on its activities, including an initiative to help church communities in poorer parts of the world prevent abuse and care for victims.

The Vatican did not provide the text of Leo’s remarks or make the audio of the audience available to reporters.

Pope Francis created the commission early on in his pontificate to advise the church on best practices and placed a trusted official, Boston’s then-archbishop, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, in charge.

But as the abuse scandal spread globally during Francis’ 12-year pontificate, the commission lost its influence its crowning recommendation — the creation of a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for predator priests — went nowhere. After many years of reform and new members, it has become a place where victims can go to be heard and bishops can get advice on crafting guidelines to fight abuse.

O’Malley turned 80 last year and retired as archbishop of Boston, but he remains president of the commission and headed the delegation meeting with Leo in the Apostolic Palace.