Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
