Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
