Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey expressed hope 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 relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
