People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope 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 papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on 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 institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
