🔗 Share this article Survivors of Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse Voice Optimism Following Encounter with Pope Leo End Clergy Abuse Global board members and survivors pose in Vatican Square following the meeting with Pope Leo People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican. Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue. Global Strict Approach Advocated The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US. The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey. "We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated. Legacy Issue The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years. Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse. Personal Connection For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches. "We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse." Significant Meeting Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence. The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada. They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth." "Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on recently Church Regulations Changes The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide. They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo. "He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked. Responsibility Emphasized A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence." The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up." Moving Forward Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us." Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change. "We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented. Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."