Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step 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 appreciated that."
