đź”— Share this article Survivors of Catholic Religious Sexual Abuse Voice Hope Following Meeting with Pope Leo End Clergy Abuse Global board members and victims gather in Vatican Square following the encounter with Pope Leo Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican. Gemma Hickey, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem. Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member 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 world" to this initiative, according to the representative. "We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated. Legacy Challenge The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades. Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Personal Link For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes. "Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials." Significant Meeting Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence. The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative. The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America. They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable." "Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us." Pope Leo celebrates Mass in Vatican City on 19 October Church Regulations Reforms The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide. They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff. "He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted. Accountability Highlighted A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence." The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up." Moving Forward The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us." Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress. "We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented. Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."