People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they 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 ends - he appreciated that."
