Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
