People who endured abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism after their first encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's decision to engage with them so early in his papacy sent a strong message about his commitment to addressing the problem.
Worldwide Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any clergy member who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they remarked.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who took the position in May, has taken on this persistent problem that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to resolve the problem included an unprecedented meeting on child abuse within the Church and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize abuse.
Personal Connection
For the representative, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the measure is personal. The North American activist revealed they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between various churches.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the organization, which includes survivors and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pope 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 "very understanding" when listening to the story of a female survivor victimized at a Catholic residential school for Indigenous children in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own experience and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Changes
The organization is hoping that changes to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled documents that they plan to submit to the pontiff.
"He appeared engaged in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of Church leaders or personnel in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "urgent need for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
Hickey shared they told the pontiff at the beginning of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to engage in a conversation as it was for us."
After the meeting, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the end of the day, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to build that bond is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
They added that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he valued that."
