People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads 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 addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
