Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff acknowledged 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," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For the representative, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to eliminate clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described 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 "tender" about their personal experience and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the strict approach worldwide.
They have spoken with experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This represents as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey 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 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: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
