Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors 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 genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
