🔗 Share this article Survivors of Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse Voice Hope Following Encounter with the Pontiff Anti-Abuse Organization board members and survivors gather in St. Peter Square following the meeting with the Pontiff People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican. Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem. Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US. The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated. Inherited Issue The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades. Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse. Personal Connection For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches. "We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials." Significant Encounter Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence. The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey. The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada. They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth." "Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us." The Pontiff leads religious service in Vatican City on 19 October Church Regulations Reforms The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide. They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo. "He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked. Responsibility Highlighted A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act." The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up." Path Ahead The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us." After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress. "We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented. Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."