🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Religious Sex Abuse Express Optimism After Encounter with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and victims gather in Vatican Square after the meeting with the Pontiff People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue. Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US. The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative. "We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked. Inherited Issue The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years. Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Deeply Felt Connection For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches. "Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse." Significant Encounter Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence. The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada. They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth." "Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in Vatican City on recently Canon Law Changes The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide. They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff. "He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted. Accountability Emphasized A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence." The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up." Path Ahead Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us." After the encounter, they expressed hope for future change. "We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented. Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."