Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
