People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged 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," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, 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 implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
