People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account 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 seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"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 build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."