People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred 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 want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
