🔗 Share this article Survivors of Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse Voice Hope After Meeting with the Pontiff End Clergy Abuse Global representatives and victims gather in St. Peter Square after the meeting with the Pontiff People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue. Global Strict Policy Advocated The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States. The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey. "We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked. Legacy Issue The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades. Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse. Deeply Felt Link For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches. "We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse." Historic Meeting Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence. The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America. Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable." "Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on recently Church Regulations Changes The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally. They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked. Accountability Highlighted A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act." The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up." Moving Forward Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us." Following the encounter, they voiced hope for future change. "We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated. They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."