People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy 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 decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told 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 meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
