Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"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 continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
