People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, 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 told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
