Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
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 Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
