Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff 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 added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage 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 happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
