Letter to the Pope
Harrowing testimonies of child abuse in the Catholic Church
As Pope Francis pledges to instate a "zero tolerance" approach to child abuse in the Catholic Church, generations of victims continue to come forward. They're asking why their allegations have not been taken seriously until now.
Dozens of former students from the Antonio Provolo Insitutite for the Deaf have accused more than 25 priests of rape and sexual abuse. “[H]e forced me to have oral sex and do disgusting things,” says one of the victims of his abuser. For those who were abused in the care of the institute, the Church’s response has been too little too late: despite the cases being brought to Pope Francis’s attention in 2014, 13 of the accused priests are still alive and free. Father Micheloni still lives at the Provolo Institute. “The pope hasn’t done anything,” says another victim. This report focuses on the harrowing testimonies of abuse victims still searching for justice.
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