Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
