🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Religious Sex Abuse Express Optimism After Encounter with the Pontiff Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and survivors pose in St. Peter Square following the encounter with the Pontiff Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican. The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem. Global Strict Approach Pushed The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US. The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked. Legacy Challenge The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades. Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse. Deeply Felt Link For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches. "We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse." Historic Meeting Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence. The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey. The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America. They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth." "Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us." The Pontiff celebrates Mass in the Vatican on recently Church Regulations Reforms The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally. They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff. "He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked. Accountability Highlighted A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act." The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment." Moving Forward Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us." Following the meeting, 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 establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented. Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."