Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
