People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized 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 noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
