People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned 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 hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"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 continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
