People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them 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 different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
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 meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"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 continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."