People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told 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 meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
