🔗 Share this article Victims of Church Religious Sexual Abuse Express Hope After Meeting with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization board members and victims pose in Vatican Square following the meeting with the Pontiff People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue. Global Strict Policy Pushed The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States. The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey. "Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated. Legacy Issue The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades. Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Deeply Felt Connection For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes. "We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse." Historic Encounter Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office. The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America. They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable." "Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us." The Pontiff leads religious service in Vatican City on 19 October Canon Law Changes The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally. They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo. "He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked. Responsibility Emphasized A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act." The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up." Moving Forward Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us." After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change. "We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented. They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."