People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy 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 some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. 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 leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, 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 victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism 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 establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
