Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
