People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
