Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" 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 role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following 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 establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
