Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue 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 conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
