Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build 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 believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
