Individuals who experienced 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, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
