Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope 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 papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They concluded that they told with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
