People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. 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 recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
