🔗 Share this article

Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.

The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed

The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

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

Legacy Issue

The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.

Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Personal Connection

For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.

The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."

"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.

They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

Following the meeting, they voiced hope 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 strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.

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