Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
