Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
