People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting 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 soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"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 taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
