People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
