People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
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 pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
