Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope 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 persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
