Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed 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 leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates 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 Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
