People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors 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 genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
