Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
