People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise 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 relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
