Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually 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 the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
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 pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
