Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition 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," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
