Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
