Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, 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, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned 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 noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
