People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
