Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal 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 made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
