Individuals who endured sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They added the Pope was "tender" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to canon law will enable the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of abuse or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the meeting, 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, coming together and establishing a connection and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story concludes - he valued that."
