Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start 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 voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
