🔗 Share this article

Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated

The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.

The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.

Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The meeting, originally scheduled 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 account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.

They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."

"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."

Church Regulations Reforms

The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.

"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Emphasized

A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."

The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."

Moving Forward

The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."

Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.

"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."