Individuals who experienced sexual 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, commented that the pontiff's choice to engage with them so soon in his leadership spoke volumes about his dedication to tackling the issue.
Global Zero-Tolerance Policy Pushed
The group is pushing for a global zero-tolerance policy that would permanently remove any priest who confesses to or is found guilty of abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented 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 recognized that there is pushback," they remarked.
Legacy Issue
The current pontiff, who assumed the position in May, has inherited this longstanding issue that has plagued the Church for decades.
Earlier attempts to address the problem included an unprecedented meeting on paedophilia within the institution and revisions to church laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse.
Deeply Felt Connection
For the representative, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for global implementation of the measure is personal. The North American advocate revealed they were abused by a clergy member who was subsequently transferred between various churches.
"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to collaborate with him," Hickey stated. "We have the same goal, we want to end clergy abuse."
Historic Meeting
Seven members of the organization, which represents survivors and supporters from over thirty nations, met with the Pope in his Vatican office.
The meeting, initially planned for a brief period, lasted to a sixty minutes, during which the religious leader "mostly listened to us," according to the representative.
The pontiff was described as "quite empathetic" when hearing the story of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.
They added the Pope was "compassionate" about their personal story and appeared "very humble, funny, and very down to earth."
"Victims have long wanted a voice in discussions and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey stated. "I believed like he was sincere, realistic, and receptive and keen to work with us."
Church Regulations Changes
The group is hoping that revisions to church regulations will facilitate the adoption of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.
They have spoken with specialists and compiled materials that they will present to the pontiff.
"He appeared interested in looking at it," they remarked.
Responsibility Highlighted
A recent Vatican-commissioned report emphasized the "importance of a efficient process for the stepping down and/or removal of religious officials or staff in cases of misconduct or failure to act."
The report also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and major superiors to be held accountable for inaction and concealment."
Moving Forward
Hickey revealed they told the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This represents as much a risk for him to engage in a dialogue as it was for us."
After the meeting, Hickey expressed optimism for future change.
"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, uniting and building a relationship and continuing to strengthen that relationship is a step in the right direction," Hickey commented.
Hickey added that they shared with the pontiff: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I feel like we can alter how the narrative ends - he appreciated that."
