Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they 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 persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
