Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating 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 already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own 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 making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "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 future change.
"We understand 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 relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
