People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey 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."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added 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."
