People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After 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 relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
