People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
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 pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed hope for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
