🔗 Share this article Victims of Church Religious Sexual Abuse Voice Optimism After Meeting with the Pontiff Anti-Abuse Organization board members and survivors pose in Vatican Square following the encounter with Pope Leo Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See. Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem. Global Strict Approach Pushed The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US. The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative. "We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated. Inherited Challenge The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades. Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse. Personal Link For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes. "We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials." Historic Meeting Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office. The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America. Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth." "Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us." The Pontiff leads religious service in Vatican City on recently Canon Law Changes The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally. They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo. "He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked. Accountability Emphasized A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act." The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment." Path Ahead Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us." Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change. "We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented. They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."