Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged 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," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian 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 collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, 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 victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
