People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred 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 same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
