People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates 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 religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope 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 continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
