Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
