People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
