People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, 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 story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"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 sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand 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 relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
