People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, 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 account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
