🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Religious Sexual Abuse Voice Hope Following Meeting with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization board members and survivors pose in Vatican Square following the encounter with Pope Leo Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue. Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States. The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance 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 Challenge 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 problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse. Deeply Felt Link For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes. "Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials." Significant Encounter Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office. The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada. Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable." "Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on recently Church Regulations Reforms The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide. They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff. "He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked. Accountability Highlighted A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act." The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up." Moving Forward Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us." Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change. "We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented. They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."