People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their initial meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The organization is pushing for a global strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses 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 initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," they stated.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the situation included an historic meeting on child abuse within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate revealed they were abused by a priest who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," they stated. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from more than 30 nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and very open and eager to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "importance of a efficient process for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or negligence."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise 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 step in the correct path," they commented.
They concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
