People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, 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," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk 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 end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
