Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty 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 "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
