Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end 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 discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff 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, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
