Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff 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," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred 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 same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
