Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared 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 work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
