Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, 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," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
