Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced 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 establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
