People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial 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 early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
