People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
