People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
