People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, 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 commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
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 misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
