Victims of Church Religious Sex Abuse Express Hope After Encounter with Pope Leo

People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Strict Policy Pushed

The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

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

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."

Historic Encounter

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.

Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."

Church Regulations Changes

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Accountability Emphasized

A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Path Ahead

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

Following the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.

"We realise 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 persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.

They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."