Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope 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 papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they 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 build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
