Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
