People who experienced abuse by church officials have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The North American advocate shared they were abused by a priest who was later transferred between various churches.
"We trust this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Reforms
The organization is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the correct path," they commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
