Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
