People who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own 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 making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that changes to canon law will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
