People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after 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 leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
