People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy 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.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
