Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope 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 connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
