🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Clergy Sex Abuse Voice Optimism After Meeting with the Pontiff End Clergy Abuse Global board members and victims pose in Vatican Square after the encounter with the Pontiff People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican. The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue. Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US. The Pope 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 acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated. Legacy Issue The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years. Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Personal Connection For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes. "We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials." Significant Encounter Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence. The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, 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 story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America. They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable." "Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager 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 enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide. They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked. Accountability Emphasized A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence." The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up." Path Ahead The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us." Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress. "We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented. Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."