Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
