Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope 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 Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
