🔗 Share this article Survivors of Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse Express Hope After Encounter with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization board members and survivors gather in St. Peter Square following the encounter with the Pontiff Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican. The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem. Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States. The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey. "We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated. Legacy Issue The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades. Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse. Personal Connection For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral 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 transferred between different parishes. "Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse." Historic Encounter Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence. The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative. The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America. They noted the Pope was "tender" 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 making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us." Pope Leo leads religious service in the Vatican on 19 October Church Regulations Changes The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide. They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo. "He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted. Accountability Highlighted A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act." The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment." Path Ahead Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us." Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress. "We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented. They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."