People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts 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 new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own 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 stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
