Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
