🔗 Share this article Victims of Church Religious Sexual Abuse Voice Hope Following Meeting with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and survivors gather in St. Peter Square after the meeting with the Pontiff Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See. The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem. Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US. The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative. "We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked. Inherited Issue The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years. Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse. Deeply Felt Link For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes. "We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials." Significant Encounter Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office. The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey. The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada. Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable." "Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on 19 October Church Regulations Reforms The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally. They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted. Responsibility Highlighted A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act." The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up." Moving Forward Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us." Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change. "We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated. Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."