Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism 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 strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
