People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
