People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
