People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted 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 resistance," they stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"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, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
