People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
