Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach 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 abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
