Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff 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 Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
