Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope 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 recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
