People who experienced sexual abuse by church officials have voiced fresh optimism after their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to addressing the problem.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would defrock any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This policy has been implemented in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Church for many years.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven members of the coalition, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was characterized as "quite empathetic" when listening to the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own experience and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was giving us lip service," they stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and very open and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a efficient process for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
Following the encounter, Hickey expressed hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, uniting and building a connection and continuing to build that bond is a move in the correct path," they stated.
They added that they told with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the narrative ends - he valued that."
