People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the position in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which includes victims and advocates from over thirty countries, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" 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 giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The report also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a connection and continuing to build that bond is a step in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
