Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"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 relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
