People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
