People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
