Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
