Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope 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 establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
