People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
