Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
