Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member 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 Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
