People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described 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 Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
