People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized 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 Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
