Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed 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 engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
