🔗 Share this article

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

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Global Strict Approach Pushed

The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

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

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

Inherited Challenge

The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Meeting

Seven members of the organization, which represents 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 religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.

The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."

"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Changes

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

They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released 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 noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."