Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
