People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report 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
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
