People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo 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 leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
