People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
