Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope 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 leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach 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 the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
