Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse 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 inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
