Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American advocate revealed 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 expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty 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 Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism 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 relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
