People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes 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 admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors 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 genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
