Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses 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 proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope 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 continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
