Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
