Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter 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 leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable 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 conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
