People who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have expressed renewed hope after their first meeting with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, commented that the Pope's decision to meet with them so early in his papacy spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the problem.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a worldwide zero-tolerance policy that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of abusing a minor. This policy has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"Everyone was practical when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey stated.
Inherited Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this persistent issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to canon law to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Personal Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the campaign for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate shared they were victimized by a priest who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to end clergy abuse."
Significant Meeting
Multiple representatives of the coalition, which represents victims and advocates from over thirty countries, engaged with the Pontiff in his Vatican office.
The discussion, initially planned for 20 minutes, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the Pope "primarily heard to us," according to Hickey.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when listening to the account of a woman victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their own story and appeared "modest, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Survivors have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," they commented. "I felt like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to canon law will facilitate the implementation of the strict approach globally.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to Pope Leo.
"He seemed interested in looking at it," Hickey remarked.
Accountability Emphasized
A recently released Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or failure to act."
The report also noted that survivors consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be made responsible for negligence and concealment."
Path Ahead
Hickey revealed they told the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This is as much a risk for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."
Following the encounter, they voiced hope for progress.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a move in the correct path," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."
