People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"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 relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
