Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating 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 policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, 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 collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
