People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
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 tackling 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 found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
