Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
