Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, 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," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative 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 encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
