People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter 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 early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need 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 meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
