Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent 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 changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
