Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for progress.
"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 strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
