Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
