Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
