Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
