Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
