People who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock 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 some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the situation included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, 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 hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the leader was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy 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.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise 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 bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
