π Share this article Victims of Catholic Religious Sexual Abuse Express Hope Following Encounter with Pope Leo Anti-Abuse Organization board members and survivors pose in Vatican Square following the encounter with the Pontiff Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican. The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem. Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States. The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative. "Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked. Inherited Issue The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades. Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse. Personal Connection For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes. "Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse." Historic Encounter Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office. The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey. The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America. They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth." "Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us." The Pontiff leads religious service in Vatican City on recently Canon Law Reforms The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally. They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff. "He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted. Accountability Highlighted A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence." The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment." Path Ahead The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us." After the meeting, they voiced 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 connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented. They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."