Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
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 Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
