🔗 Share this article Victims of Church Clergy Sex Abuse Express Hope After Meeting with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and victims gather in St. Peter Square after the meeting with Pope Leo Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue. Global Strict Approach Advocated The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States. The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated. Inherited Issue The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades. Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Deeply Felt Connection For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation 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 set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials." Historic Encounter Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office. The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America. They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth." "Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us." The Pontiff leads religious service in the Vatican on 19 October Church Regulations Changes The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide. They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo. "He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked. Accountability Highlighted A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence." The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment." Path Ahead Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us." Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress. "We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented. Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."