People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage 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 permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions 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."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
