People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
