Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
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 child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope 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 acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
