Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed 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 beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
