Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
