Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed fresh optimism after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the pontiff's decision to meet with them so soon in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated
The organization is pushing for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has taken on this persistent issue that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the problem included an historic summit on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to eliminate clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for 20 minutes, extended to a full hour, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The Pope was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor abused at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey added the leader was "tender" about their own story and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and very open and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The organization is advocating that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and gathered documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in looking at it," they noted.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims repeatedly stressed the "urgent need for bishops and senior officials to be held accountable for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I feel like we can change how the story concludes - he appreciated that."
