🔗 Share this article

People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.

Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.

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

"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.

Legacy Issue

The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Link

For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Historic Encounter

Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

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

The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

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

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.

They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.

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

Accountability Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."

The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

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