People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption 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 aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey 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 relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."