People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing 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 Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
