People who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he valued that."
