People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, 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 victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
