Individuals who endured abuse by church officials have expressed fresh optimism following their first encounter with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the Pope's choice to engage with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the problem.
Global Strict Policy Advocated
The organization is advocating for a global zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any clergy member who admits to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," Hickey remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the position in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has haunted the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an historic meeting on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The North American activist shared they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "We have the same goal, we want to eliminate abuse by religious officials."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the coalition, which includes victims and advocates from more than 30 countries, met with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
They noted the leader was "compassionate" about their own story and seemed "modest, humorous, and approachable."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was making empty promises," they commented. "I felt like he was genuine, realistic, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The organization is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the strict approach worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled documents that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed engaged in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recently released church-ordered report highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the resignation and/or dismissal of religious officials or personnel in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative shared they informed the Pope at the beginning of their discussion: "This represents as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
After the encounter, Hickey voiced hope for progress.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to build that relationship is a move in the correct path," they commented.
Hickey concluded that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I feel like we can alter how the story ends - he valued that."
