People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed 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 persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
