Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first 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 commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust 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 eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
