People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
