People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and gathered materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
