People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."