Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced fresh optimism following their first meeting with the new Pope at the Holy See.
The board president, who leads Ending Clergy Abuse, stated that the pontiff's decision to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Worldwide Strict Approach Advocated
The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a minor. This approach has already been adopted in the United States.
The Pope recognized that there is "opposition in some parts of the globe" to this proposal, according to the representative.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is resistance," Hickey remarked.
Inherited Issue
The new Pope, who took the role in spring, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an historic summit on child abuse within the institution and revisions to church laws to clearly outlaw sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For Hickey, who uses they/them pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the policy is personal. The North American activist revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently moved between different parishes.
"Hopefully this will set the tone for his leadership, because we want to work with him," Hickey stated. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end abuse by religious officials."
Significant Meeting
Multiple members of the organization, which represents victims and supporters from more than 30 countries, engaged with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.
The Pope was characterized as "very understanding" when hearing the story of a woman abused at a Catholic residential school for native youth in Canada.
Hickey noted the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, humorous, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't perceive like he was giving us lip service," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was genuine, practical, and very open and keen to collaborate with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have consulted experts and compiled materials that they will submit to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," they noted.
Accountability Highlighted
A recently released Vatican-commissioned document highlighted the "necessity of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that victims consistently emphasized the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they informed the Pope at the start of their discussion: "This represents as much a challenge for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, they expressed optimism for future change.
"We understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, but at the conclusion, coming together and building a connection and continuing to strengthen that bond is a move in the right direction," Hickey stated.
Hickey added that they told with the pontiff: "Even though it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he valued that."
