Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
