🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Clergy Sexual Abuse Voice Optimism After Meeting with the Pontiff Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and survivors pose in Vatican Square following the meeting with the Pontiff People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican. The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue. Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States. The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated. Legacy Challenge The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years. Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse. Personal Link For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes. "Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials." Historic Encounter Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence. The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada. Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable." "Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us." Pope Leo leads religious service in the Vatican on 19 October Canon Law Reforms The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide. They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted. Responsibility Highlighted A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence." The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment." Path Ahead The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us." After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change. "We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated. They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."