Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits 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.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
