Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed 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 pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
