People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem 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 changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
