Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
