People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting 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 papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff 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.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
