People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"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 genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
