People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
