People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope 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 perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
