🔗 Share this article Survivors of Church Religious Sexual Abuse Voice Optimism After Meeting with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization representatives and survivors pose in Vatican Square after the meeting with the Pontiff People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See. Gemma Hickey, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem. Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States. The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey. "Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked. Legacy Challenge The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades. Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse. Deeply Felt Connection For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes. "We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials." Significant Encounter Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office. The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, 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 Canada. Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth." "Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us." Pope Leo leads religious service in the Vatican on recently Church Regulations Reforms The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide. They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted. Accountability Emphasized A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence." The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment." Path Ahead Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us." After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress. "We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated. Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."