Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate 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 aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
