Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account 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 story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
