Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
