People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance 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 current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met 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 "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
