People who experienced sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their initial encounter with the new Pope at the Vatican.
The board president, who leads the anti-abuse organization, stated that the pontiff's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his commitment to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Approach Advocated
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is proven of sexually abusing a child. This approach has already been adopted in the US.
The Pontiff recognized that there is "opposition in certain regions of the globe" to this proposal, according to Hickey.
"We were all being realistic when we recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Challenge
The new Pope, who took the role in May, has inherited this longstanding problem that has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.
Previous efforts to address the situation included an unprecedented summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.
Deeply Felt Link
For Hickey, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the campaign for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian advocate shared they were victimized by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between different parishes.
"We trust this will establish the direction for his leadership, because we aim to work with him," they expressed. "Both sides share the common objective, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven representatives of the coalition, which represents survivors and supporters from more than 30 nations, met with the Pope in his official residence.
The discussion, originally scheduled for a brief period, extended to a sixty minutes, 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 woman victimized at a Catholic residential school for native youth in North America.
They noted the Pope was "tender" about their own experience and seemed "modest, funny, and approachable."
"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I felt like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and eager to work with us."
Canon Law Reforms
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will enable the adoption of the strict approach globally.
They have consulted specialists and gathered materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey noted.
Accountability Emphasized
A recent Vatican-commissioned report highlighted the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or removal of Church leaders or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for bishops and major superiors to be held accountable for negligence and cover-up."
Path Ahead
The representative revealed they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents 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 happen overnight, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a connection and persisting to build that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey concluded that they shared with the pontiff: "Just because it's a difficult period, I believe like we can change how the narrative concludes - he appreciated that."
