People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
