People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared 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 optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
