Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which includes victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope 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 continuing to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
