People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
