People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
