People who endured sexual abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Strict Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The current pontiff, who took the position in spring, has inherited this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently 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 seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which includes survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and gathered materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff 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 progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
