Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
