Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their initial meeting with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They added the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
The representative shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
They added that they told with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he appreciated that."
