Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought 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, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
