🔗 Share this article Survivors of Catholic Religious Sexual Abuse Voice Hope After Meeting with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and victims gather in St. Peter Square following the meeting with Pope Leo People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See. The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue. Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States. The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated. Legacy Challenge The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades. Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse. Deeply Felt Connection For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches. "Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials." Significant Meeting Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office. The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada. They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable." "Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us." The Pontiff celebrates Mass in the Vatican on 19 October Canon Law Reforms The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide. They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted. Accountability Highlighted A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down 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 "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up." Path Ahead The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us." After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress. "We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented. Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."