People who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a move in the correct path," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
