🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Clergy Sexual Abuse Express Hope Following Meeting with the Pontiff End Clergy Abuse Global representatives and victims pose in Vatican Square following the meeting with Pope Leo People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican. Gemma Hickey, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue. Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US. The Pope recognized that there is "opposition 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 remarked. Legacy Challenge The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years. Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse. Personal Link For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches. "Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials." Historic Meeting Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence. The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative. The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada. They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable." "Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us." The Pontiff celebrates Mass in the Vatican on 19 October Canon Law Reforms The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally. They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo. "He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked. Accountability Emphasized A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence." The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up." Moving Forward The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us." Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress. "We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented. Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."