Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"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 continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
