Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision 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 organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard 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 Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand 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 correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
