People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
