People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
