🔗 Share this article

Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.

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

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.

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

Personal Link

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.

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

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey revealed 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, Hickey voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."