People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
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 approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
