Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
