Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Global Strict Approach Pushed
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The new Pope, who assumed the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic summit on child abuse within the Church and changes to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Significant Encounter
Multiple members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "compassionate" about their personal story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they plan to present to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement 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 meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, they voiced hope for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the story ends - he appreciated that."
