Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented 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 recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and changes to canon law to clearly outlaw 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.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the common objective, we seek to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the Pope "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a move in the right direction," they commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
