Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide 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 minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
