People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
