People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel 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."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
