People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
