Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
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 minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that bond is a move 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 story concludes - he valued that."
