People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after 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 meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
