Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."