People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist 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 collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
