Individuals who experienced abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism after their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The organization is advocating for a worldwide strict approach that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope acknowledged that there is "resistance in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is resistance," they stated.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has taken on this longstanding problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for many years.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented summit on child abuse within the Church and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Personal Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey expressed. "We have the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Significant Encounter
Seven representatives of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for Indigenous children in North America.
They noted the leader was "tender" about their personal experience and seemed "modest, funny, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have consistently sought a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," they stated. "I believed like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The group is advocating that changes to church regulations will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy globally.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Emphasized
A recent church-ordered report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also noted that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the end of the day, coming together and establishing a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a move in the right direction," they stated.
They added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can alter how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
