🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Religious Sexual Abuse Express Optimism After Encounter with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization board members and victims gather in St. Peter Square after the encounter with the Pontiff People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See. The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem. Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US. The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked. Inherited Issue The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades. Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse. Personal Connection For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes. "Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse." Historic Encounter Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence. The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative. The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada. They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth." "Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on 19 October Canon Law Reforms The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally. They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo. "He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted. Responsibility Emphasized A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act." The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment." Path Ahead The representative revealed they informed 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 meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change. "We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented. They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."