People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" 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 perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
