🔗 Share this article Survivors of Catholic Religious Sexual Abuse Express Optimism Following Encounter with Pope Leo End Clergy Abuse Global representatives and victims gather in St. Peter Square following the meeting with the Pontiff Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem. Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US. The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative. "We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked. Inherited Challenge The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades. Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Deeply Felt Connection For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign 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. "We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse." Historic Encounter Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, 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 "primarily heard to us," according to the representative. The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America. They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth." "Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in the Vatican on recently Church Regulations Changes The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide. They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted. Accountability Highlighted A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act." The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment." Moving Forward The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us." Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress. "We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented. Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."