People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the world" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Challenge
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was later transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pontiff in his official residence.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have consistently sought a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey noted.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document highlighted the "necessity of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they told 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, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
