People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims 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 sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
