Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story 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," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
