People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff 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.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
