Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
