People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted 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 female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
