🔗 Share this article Victims of Church Clergy Sex Abuse Voice Optimism Following Encounter with Pope Leo End Clergy Abuse Global board members and victims gather in St. Peter Square following the meeting with Pope Leo Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See. The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue. Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US. The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey. "We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated. Legacy Issue The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades. Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse. Personal Connection For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches. "We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse." Historic Encounter Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence. The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative. The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America. Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable." "Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on 19 October Canon Law Changes The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide. They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo. "He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted. Accountability Emphasized A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act." The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up." Path Ahead The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us." Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress. "We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented. Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."