Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them 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 subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
