People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads 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 problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
