People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope 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 pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
