People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
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 dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal 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," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
