Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff 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 encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise 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 persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
