People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
