People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
