🔗 Share this article Victims of Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse Express Hope Following Meeting with Pope Leo End Clergy Abuse Global board members and victims pose in Vatican Square following the meeting with the Pontiff Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue. Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US. The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked. Inherited Issue The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years. Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse. Deeply Felt Link For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes. "We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse." Significant Encounter Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence. The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative. The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada. They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth." "Survivors 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 sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us." The Pontiff celebrates Mass in the Vatican on 19 October Canon Law Reforms The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide. They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff. "He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted. Accountability Highlighted A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence." The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment." Moving Forward Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us." After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress. "We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented. They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."