People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
