People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
