People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
