People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, 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 priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism 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 bond is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
