Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
