People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first 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 early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions 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 measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"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 continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
