People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"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 relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
