Individuals who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted 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 group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
