🔗 Share this article Victims of Church Clergy Sexual Abuse Voice Hope After Meeting with Pope Leo End Clergy Abuse Global board members and survivors gather in Vatican Square following the encounter with the Pontiff Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican. The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue. Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States. The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative. "We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked. Legacy Issue The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades. Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Deeply Felt Connection For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches. "Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials." Historic Encounter Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office. The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative. The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada. Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable." "Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on 19 October Canon Law Reforms The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally. They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked. Responsibility Highlighted A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act." The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment." Moving Forward Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us." Following the meeting, Hickey voiced 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 connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated. They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."