🔗 Share this article

People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.

Legacy Challenge

The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.

Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"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 genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.

They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.

"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.

They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."