Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed 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 encounter, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
