People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
