🔗 Share this article

Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story 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 stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.

Accountability Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

After 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, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.

They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."