Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "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 sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
