🔗 Share this article

People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.

The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.

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

Inherited Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.

Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.

"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 strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.

They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."