Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
