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, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, they expressed optimism for progress.
"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 correct path," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
