Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
