People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
