🔗 Share this article

People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.

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

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.

The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.

The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

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

They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."

The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.

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