People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
