Individuals who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have expressed renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Pushed
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"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 end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was characterized as "very understanding" when listening to the account of a woman abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed engaged in reviewing it," they remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned document emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the Pope 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 meeting, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
