People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
