Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
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 priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
