People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, 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 story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down 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 senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
