Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared 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 aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
