🔗 Share this article

People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated

The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, 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, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, 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," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."