🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Religious Sexual Abuse Voice Hope After Encounter with the Pontiff Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and survivors gather in St. Peter Square after the encounter with the Pontiff Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See. The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue. Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US. The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated. Inherited Challenge The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years. Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse. Deeply Felt Connection For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist 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," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse." Significant Encounter Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office. The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America. Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth." "Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us." Pope Leo leads religious service in Vatican City on 19 October Canon Law Changes The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide. They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo. "He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked. Accountability Highlighted A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence." The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up." Path Ahead The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us." After the meeting, 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 building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented. Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."