Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope 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.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman 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, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed 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 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 establishing a relationship and continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
