People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," they expressed. "We have the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered materials that they plan to submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"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 strengthen that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."