People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter 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 leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
