People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of abusing a child. This approach has been implemented in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the world" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the role in spring, has taken on this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers they/them pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," they stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Historic Encounter
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
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 hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for inaction and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed hope 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 relationship and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
