Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
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 repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
