Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate 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, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey 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 appreciated that."
