Survivors of clergy sexual abuse called on the Vatican on Monday to extend the zero-tolerance policy adopted by the US Catholic Church in 2002 to apply to the global church, insisting that children worldwide deserve protection for predator priests.

A former top Vatican official who dealt with clergy sexual abuse issues joined victims on Monday in urging Pope Francis to enact a zero-tolerance law throughout the global Catholic church so any cleric found guilty of abuse would be removed from ministry.

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse urged the Vatican on Monday to adopt the same zero-tolerance policy that it approved for the U.S.

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse have urged the Vatican to expand the zero-tolerance policy it approved for the US Catholic Church in 2002 to the rest of the world, arguing that children everywhere should be protected from predator priests.