People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the start 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 hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."