🔗 Share this article

People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated

The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

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

Inherited Challenge

The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

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

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.

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

"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.

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