People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
