People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
