Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told 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."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
