Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, 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 "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope 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 stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
