People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
