Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, 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 Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
