People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
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 abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, 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 building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
