People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse 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 Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand 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 persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
