People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, 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 stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
