People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
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 recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After 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 connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
