🔗 Share this article Victims of Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse Voice Optimism Following Encounter with the Pontiff End Clergy Abuse Global board members and survivors gather in Vatican Square following the meeting with the Pontiff People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See. The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue. Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States. The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey. "Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked. Legacy Issue The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades. Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Personal Connection For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches. "We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse." Historic Encounter Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office. The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America. Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth." "Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on 19 October Church Regulations Reforms The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide. They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo. "He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked. Responsibility Highlighted A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence." The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment." Moving Forward Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us." Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change. "We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated. They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."