🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Clergy Sexual Abuse Express Hope Following Encounter with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization board members and victims pose in St. Peter Square following the encounter with Pope Leo Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican. Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue. Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States. The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey. "Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked. Inherited Challenge The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades. Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse. Personal Link For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes. "Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials." Historic Encounter Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence. The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative. The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada. They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable." "Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us." Pope Leo leads religious service in the Vatican on recently Church Regulations Reforms The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide. They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo. "He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked. Responsibility Highlighted A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence." The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment." Path Ahead The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us." After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress. "We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated. They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."