Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
