🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Religious Sex Abuse Voice Hope After Meeting with Pope Leo End Clergy Abuse Global representatives and survivors pose in St. Peter Square following the meeting with Pope Leo Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem. Global Strict Policy Advocated The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States. 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," they remarked. Inherited Challenge The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades. Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse. Deeply Felt Link For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes. "We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse." Historic Meeting Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence. The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada. They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable." "Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us." Pope Leo leads religious service in Vatican City on recently Canon Law Reforms The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally. They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked. Accountability Highlighted A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act." The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up." Moving Forward Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us." After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress. "We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated. They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."