People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"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 strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
