MAY 2, 2019. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

WHAT

Responding to the invitation by Argentina's largest organization of survivors, ECA, a global network of prominent clergy abuse survivors and activists, along with the world's leading research organization on clergy abuse, joined together holding signs and childhood photos outside of Hogar Sacerdotal de Bs As Mons. Mariano A. Espinosa.

The purpose was to:

-- Call on true zero tolerance in the Argentine church and urge Pope Francis to return to Argentina and implement it.

-- Demand that Argentine bishops write zero tolerance into church law and practice.

-- Call on Argentine bishops to immediately remove all known sex offenders from ministry and publicly identify them.

-- Insist on transparency, calling on Argentine church leaders to release their secret abuse files.

-- Name five Argentine bishops who should be investigated for concealing or ignoring abuse.

-- Call for an immediate change to the 1966 Concordat between the Holy See and Argentina.

-- Call on Argentine victims to come forward, seek help from their fellow survivors, and continue to demand justice.

-- Three Argentine survivor-whistleblowers of historic importance. Each came forward early, and each tried to meet with Pope Francis and was rebuffed.

-- Founding leaders of ECA (Ending Clergy Abuse), an international network of prominent survivors and activists from 5 continents and 29 countries. ECA led the global survivors’ protests in Rome during the Pope’s clergy sexual abuse February summit and met with top Vatican officials.

-- The co-director of BishopAccountability.org., the leading global research organization that tracks abuse cases worldwide, including in Argentina, and is based in the U.S.

At the historic papal summit on clergy abuse in February, Pope Francis called for a “global war” against clergy sex offenders and cover-ups, repeatedly promising that zero tolerance would be enacted under his papacy.

In the Pope's home country, however, true zero tolerance does not exist in policy or practice. It is being actively opposed by bishops:  priests with substantive allegations are in ministry, bishops who have covered up sex crimes remain in power, and church officials continue to obstruct criminal investigations.

In his six years as Pope, Francis has not acknowledged the plight of Argentine victims, to whom he has a special responsibility. They are his fellow citizens whose human rights have been violated. Yet they are routinely treated with hostility or neglect by church officials. They are forced to seek justice through a church-controlled system that acts in secrecy and is unaccountable to Argentine law.

For many years, Pope Francis was Argentina's most powerful church official. As Buenos Aires archbishop, he was secretive and dismissive of allegations against his priests. According to the Wall Street Journal, Bergoglio identified only two alleged priest offenders to the Vatican during his 14 years as archbishop. He also appears to have never met with victims.

The three survivor-leaders featured at this news conference each tried to meet with Cardinal Bergoglio at a critical point in his or her fight for justice. All three of them, they say, were rebuffed or ignored.

If Pope Francis cannot enact and guarantee zero tolerance in his home country, to which he has a deep and intimate relationship and familiarity, his self-declared “war on abuse” will continue to falter, the crisis will deepen, children will remain at risk, and survivors will not see justice.

Speaking at the event were:

FROM ARGENTINA

-- Julieta Anazco, survivor and Founder (I.S.A.), Iglesia Sin Abusos

-- Gabriel Ferrini, survivor of abuse by Padre Rubén Pardo and first victim to win a civil case against the Catholic church

-- Sebastián Cuattromo, survivor, and founder of Adultxs por los Derechos de la Infancia

-- Juan Manuel Lavado, Attorney, Xumek, Argentina Human Rights firm.

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