People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
