People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting 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 papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters 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 religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
