Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report 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 document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage 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 persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
