People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven 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 initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
