Individuals who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 nations, 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 "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism 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 relationship and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey concluded that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
