Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple 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 full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, 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 relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
