Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy 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 the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced 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 bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
