People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, 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," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
