Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described 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 "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
