By Taylor Haney<\/a>, A Mart\u00ednez<\/a>, Ally Schweitzer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 5-Minute Listen<\/p>\n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Juan Carlos Cruz was not always a friend of Pope Francis, but he became one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Juan Carlos Cruz sits with Pope Francis on Jan. 22, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cruz survived abuse in his youth by a notorious Chilean priest. In January 2018, the pope caused a scandal when, visiting Chile, he defended clergy who were accused of letting that abuse continue, saying allegations against them amounted to slander<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the Vatican\u2019s sex crimes investigator looked into the allegations, the pope made an about-face later that year. He apologized and invited Cruz and two other survivors for a visit to the Vatican.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time, Cruz said he told the pope<\/u><\/a>, \u201cI don\u2019t ever want for you to fall into what other bishops have been falling, which is, blame the survivors, destroy the honor of many victims. And he agreed of course.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n That meeting began a close friendship that would continue through the remainder of the life of Pope Francis, who died Monday morning in Vatican City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an interview this week with Morning Edition<\/em>, Cruz said at times he would fly to Rome every two weeks to visit his friend, the pope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLast Christmas, he invited me to spend it with him, and we spent all our birthdays together, his and mine. So it was a very beautiful friendship,\u201d Cruz told NPR this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pope Francis and Juan Carlos Cruz celebrating Cruz\u2019s birthday on Aug. 13, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Cruz, time with the pontiff meant laughing at his \u201csometimes Dad jokes\u201d and his teasing about the rivalry between their homelands, Chile and Argentina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe told me that I only watched soccer World Cups on TV, while they won,\u201d Cruz said, choking up with emotion. \u201cHe was so witty and yet so wonderful to everybody. And look, I\u2019m going to miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beginning in 2021, Cruz served on the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, a Vatican commission that advises the Catholic Church on child sexual abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2019, the pope issued a decree<\/u><\/a> that requires priests and nuns to report child sexual abuse and its cover-up to the Church, but not to civil authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would say that Pope Francis did what no pope did before, which is call the abuse by its name: sexual abuse, abuse of power, abuse of conscience, cover-up. He fired many bishops,\u201d Cruz said, adding that he hopes the next pope follows the lead of Pope Francis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are still victims around the world begging for justice. Until we fix that, we will not be able to move forward,\u201d Cruz said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the pope\u2019s death, advocacy groups have reacted to his legacy on handling sexual abuse. The Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, released a statement<\/u><\/a> lamenting the \u201ctragedy\u201d of his papacy, calling on the next pope to \u201cinstitute a zero tolerance law for sexual abuse that immediately removes abusive clergy and leaders who have covered up abuse from ministry.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Juan](\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1024x768+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F92%2Fb6%2F1632ee824d148cc09142a9df46c2%2F6d0e6f37-10d9-4289-a2c7-09d230562f44.JPG\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nREMEMBERING POPE FRANCIS <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pope Francis is remembered around the world as the Vatican plans for what\u2019s next<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pope](\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/1170x1704+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F74%2Fe9%2F0f9c84994741a6d23c7473c8c5ec%2Fimg-3662.JPG\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nREMEMBERING POPE FRANCIS <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to watch Pope Francis\u2019 funeral, and what to expect<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n