People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
