Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
