People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
