People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
