Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
