People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was genuine, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey voiced optimism for future change.
"We realise 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 continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
