People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
