🔗 Share this article Victims of Catholic Religious Sexual Abuse Express Optimism Following Meeting with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and victims gather in Vatican Square following the meeting with the Pontiff People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See. The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue. Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US. The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative. "We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked. Legacy Challenge The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years. Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse. Personal Link For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes. "Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse." Historic Encounter Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence. The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada. They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable." "Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in Vatican City on 19 October Canon Law Changes The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally. They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted. Responsibility Highlighted A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence." The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment." Path Ahead Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us." After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress. "We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated. They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."