Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, 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 stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
