Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
