Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope 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 leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, 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 collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
